After entering the freedom house, we were lectured about how to behave on the roof and observatory. The commercial photographer took our group picture on the roof (the first picture) and we were permitted to go up to the observatory for exactly five minutes. We were told never to point anything and wave our hands toward the North on the observatory. It was because the North Korean authorities would use our pictures or movies in which we were doing such movements as we were cheering for them or we were eager to enter into the North Korean side in Panmunjom. They set more than ten video cameras on their building, Panmungak (the last picture), and were always shooting us. You can see the observatory on the back of us in the first picture. Needless to say, the second picture shows my daughter and I on the observatory against the Panmungak building, which was the facility for the tourists coming into here from the North Korean side.
The tag on our chest was the permission of entrance into the U.N. side of Panmunjom. We were the guests and escorted by the U.N. military police officers. It made us more and more nervous and tensed.
Several officers were preparing on the ground. The left side of the third and fourth pictures was the freedom house of the South. We were going to visit the center one of three blue houses in the picture. The officers were set for guarding us.
We are at 37°57'18.93"N and 126°40'37.99"E
(Vocabulary)
wave one's hand 手を振る
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