Gentry Stein stands on the steps of Freedom House. Panmungak North Korea behind him. Photo by Ben McPhee.
YoYoFactory is known for a lot of things…great yoyos, a massive selection, and an incredible team of sponsored players. And in recent years they’ve become the ultimate yoyo travel company, bringing their players to the most exotic of locations for tricks, good times, and incredible photos and footage. Their most recent adventure didn’t find anyone throwing yoyos though, since it would increase their chances of getting shot.
You should absolutely stop what you are doing and head over to their site for the full blog post on this trip. Here’s an excerpt, to give you an idea what kind of intense experience this was:
North Korea is now off limits to US citizens. Visitors from other nations can access it via China and we know a number of people who have visited in the last 2 years. None of them recommended going. Since the capture and ultimate death US tourist Otto Warmbier its something we wouldn’t consider doing…. but there is another way to visit.
Its safe they say. Organized tours leave Seoul daily shuttling camera toting tourists to the DMZ (demilitarized zone). This area is 6km back from where the battle line was when a ceasefire on the Korean Peninsula was called in 1953. Roughly following the 38th parallel, the DMZ stretches almost 150-mile-long.
Located within the territory is the “truce village” of P’anmunjom here North Korean and American soldiers stand face to face. This is part of the Joint Security Area (JSA) which is used by the two Koreas for diplomatic engagements and, until March 1991, was also the site of military negotiations between North Korea and the United Nations Command (UNC). Now its is used for posturing. Loud speakers blare propaganda, both directions.
While the military stands face to face, guns ready. So do tourists. From the South and North.
Head over to YoYoFactory.com and check this out. And hats off to Ben and Gentry for bringing us all along for such an amazing journey!