Welcome to ‘the scariest place on earth’ – the border where North and South Korea come face-to-face
Under the constant threat of nuclear war and invasion, but with the sound of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody in the air, the residents of Daesong-Dong attempt to go about their daily lives
BYCHRISTOPHER BUCKTIN
Mirror.co.uk
8 MAY 2017
Stood on the most heavily militarised border in the world facing North Korean tyrant Kim Jong-un ’s deadly arsenal, Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody blasts out.
As Freddie Mercury begs to “spare him his life from this monstrosity” the lyrics waft over the two-and-a-half mile demilitarised zone (DMZ) in a defiant, if not metaphoric, message to the evil despot.
Played by his sworn enemy, South Korea, the tank-lined sniper-filled border – once labelled “the scariest place on Earth” by US President Bill Clinton – is not for the faint hearted.
The only thing to escape the thousands of military weapon scopes other than the sound waves are those defectors who successfully risk their lives to escape North Korea’s brutal conditions.
The South’s daytime playlist is a mix of western songs designed to highlight the freedom enjoyed by their people compared to the unbearable regime endured on the darker side of the DMZ.
Only when the cross-border DJing changes track can the retaliatory sound of the North Korean propaganda machine be heard playing on the other side.
All day long, and all through the night, the loud and chirpy tunes, with lyrics trumpeting the virtues of Supreme leader Kim, can be heard along the 160-mile border keeping the few locals that remain living in the zone in need of a good night’s sleep.
“The music is a constant reminder they can attack us at any moment,” says 71-year-old Kyŏng Young-Hwan.
“It never goes away.
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