The construction of the Cold War landscape and tourism: The possibilities and limitations of its peaceful use

Abstract

This paper examines the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and the militarization of the surrounding border area in the context of the Cold War landscape formation. This paper also examines the possibilities and limitations, based on the ongoing peace process in Korean Peninsula today, regarding the extent to which security tourism-which began to appear during the Cold War-can be turned into peace tourism. For a more systematic exploration of the social changes which have taken place in the border area, this paper has defined as "division border" as the Civilian Control Zone (CCZ), including the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), the DMZ, and the neighboring area. This paper also conceptualizes the "Cold War landscape" as the ecological and geographical environment formed by the militarization of the space. Security tourism mediates the transformation of militarized space into a social landscape. The Cold War landscape of security tourism is consumed as a resource with the aim of bolstering anti-communism efforts. Security tourism is based on a unique gaze and attitude in seeing the Cold War landscape; so, new attractions are constructed accordingly. Around the year 2000, when the Inter-Korean summit was held, changes began to be seen in the gaze and attitude towards the Cold War landscape, and the term "peace", as well as "ecology", began to be used. The paradigm change from security tourism to peace tourism entails the change in the value and semantics of the Cold War landscape-along varied trajectories. The process by which the Cold War landscape of reality is redefined as a legacy is not only affected by macro-level structural changes, but also is a factor facilitating those changes.