The Hantan River Gorge, with water flowing from Mount Jangamsan.
The demilitarized zone (DMZ) separates North and South Korea and is one of the world's most heavily armed borders. The 160-mile stretch is surrounded by fences and landmines and is mostly devoid of human activity.
However, the area's isolation has inadvertently turned it into a haven for wildlife. This week, Google released the first street view images of the DMZ, providing a rare glimpse into the flora and fauna that inhabit this no-land. man's
The images are part of a project done in collaboration with several Korean institutions to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Korean War armistice, which ended hostilities in 1953 and established the DMZ, though the war technically never ended because no peace treaty was ever signed.
The project allows viewers to take a "virtual tour" of cultural relics and heritage sites near the DMZ, such as war-torn buildings and defense bunkers, using Google's street view function.
The most surprising images, however, are of the more than 6,100 species that thrive in the DMZ, which include reptiles, birds, and plants.
According to Google, the DMZ is home to 38% of Korea's 267 endangered species.
"After the Korean War, the DMZ had minimal human interference for more than 70 years, and the damaged nature recovered on its own," the organization stated on its website. "As a result, it has created a new ecosystem not seen in cities and has become a wildlife sanctuary."
The DMZ is home to endangered mountain goats that live in the rocky mountains, musk deer with long fangs that live in old-growth forests, otters that swim along the river that divides the two Koreas, and endangered golden eagles that spend their winters in civilian border areas where residents feed hungry hunters.
Mountain goats mainly live in the rocky, mountainous areas around the DMZ.
Unmanned cameras installed by South Korea's National Institute of Ecology captured many of the images. For the first time in 20 years, these cameras captured a young Asiatic black bear in 2019, delighting researchers who have long been concerned about the endangered population's decline due to poaching and habitat destruction.
A rare black bear has been spotted in the demilitarized zone separating North and South Korea. Because of worsening conditions on either side of the border, Seung-ho Lee, president of the DMZ Forum, a group that campaigns to protect the area's ecological and cultural heritage, told CNN in 2019 that the DMZ had also become an oasis for migratory birds. He claimed that logging and flooding had harmed North Korean land, while urban development and pollution had fragmented habitats in South Korea.
He said at the time, "We call the area an accidental paradise."
Pristine, biodiverse landscapes can be seen in Google images as well. Users can use street view to explore the Hantan River Gorge, which has turquoise water meandering between high granite walls, or the Yongneup High Moor, which has broad grassy fields brimming with wetlands plants.
For decades, the preservation of the DMZ has been urged by a large number of voices, including those from Korea and international environmental organizations. However, the process is difficult because it calls for Seoul and Pyongyang's cooperation.
With the pledge to transform the demilitarized zone (DMZ) into a "peace zone" made in 2018 by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and former South Korean president Moon Jae-in, there has been some progress in recent years. A limited number of visitors were allowed on the first of three "peace trails" along the demilitarized zone (DMZ) the following year, which led hikers past observatories and barbed-wire fences.
However, since then, the situation has gotten worse, with tensions reaching an all-time high in 2022 as North Korea fired a record number of missiles and a new president of South Korea took office.
Picture Source: DMZ Botanic Garden/google.com, National Institute of Ecology/google.com