4.3.07

First Santa Claus, and now this.

The Bridge of No Return is the spot where all prisoners of war were repatriated at the end of the Korean War. This is also the most forward of all JSA checkpoints, about 25 metres across the stream from North Korean Checkpoint Six. Consequently, the rules of engagement are at the highest, most precarious level, and we had to stay on the bus. Should any of us camera-wielding tourists have even taken a step on the bridge, we would have been considered to have engaged the enemy and would have been shot by the North Korean marksmen, making them instant national heroes and us instantly dead.
According to the guide, that prisoner exchange in 1976, which included members of the crew of the USS Pueblo, marks the last time anyone has traversed the length of the bridge. Imagine my confusion and chagrin upon hearing this, as I clearly recall James Bond being handed back to M here in "Die Another Day".

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