They Call Him Bob

by Joan Carroll

Title

They Call Him Bob

Artist

Joan Carroll

Medium

Photograph - Digital Photograph

Description

There is a bit of gallows humor in that the soldiers on the southern side of the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) of the Korean Peninsula have nicknamed this North Korean Soldier BOB. The fact that about 100,000 tourists visit the Joint Security Area each year also give this place a very surreal air. When I raised my camera and zoomed in on BOB, he was gazing right back with his red-rimmed binoculars at the soldiers and tourists on the southern side. Just in front of where BOB stands are the buildings where meetings can be held between north and south. It is the one place where you can safely step into North Korea without being shot. Despite the air of surrealism here, the DMZ is still a dangerous place, where hostile actions between troops on the north and south are a frequent occurrence. Before being allowed to enter the DMZ, if visiting from the South, tourists are given a briefing during which they must sign a document which states, in part, "The visit to the Joint Security Area at Panmunjom will entail entry into a hostile area and possibility of injury or death as a direct result of enemy action."

FEATURED PHOTO, Premium FAA Artists group, 4/28/15
FEATURED PHOTO, Out Of The Ordinary group, 12/10/14

Uploaded

December 10th, 2014

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