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CNN Live At Daybreak
A Type of Psychological Warfare Going on in DMZ
Aired September 16, 2003 - 05:56 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It's called the demilitarized zone but a battle is going on there, a type of psychological warfare.
CNN's Martin Savidge reports on some things you never knew about Korea's internal border.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): South Korean soldiers prepare for battle in the DMZ. It is a fight where the only weapon is a pair of eyes and the only thing shot is a glance.
(on camera): The DMZ stretches 150 miles, separating North and South. But nowhere else do the two sides come as close as they do here in Panmungjam (ph), literally separated only by inches, 16 inches of concrete.
(voice-over): Soldiers who serve on the Southern side are hand picked to be imposing. The minimum height for Americans is six feet. South Koreans must be at least 5'8." That's two inches taller than average in their country.
South Korean guards stand in a martial arts stance, their bodies only half exposed to the North, making them less of a target. Across the way, the North Korean soldiers are said to be the best fed in a nation that has suffered years of famine. But a number of them still look gaunt and drawn. They often stand sideways, facing each other.
MAJ. JOHN RING, JOINT SECURITY BATTALION: The reason for that is if one of those soldiers decides he wants to defect, the other soldier's duty is to shoot that soldier and prevent him from defecting.
SAVIDGE: Tensions rise during official meetings on the DMZ, as more guards come out. North Korean soldiers occupy a nearby building, which American soldiers have called the monkey house, referring to how the guards inside peek out. U.S. officers suspect the building houses heavy weapons, which are outlawed under DMZ rules.
Looking for possible violations of the armistice is a favorite pastime of both sides here. Cameras sprout almost everywhere, adding eyes that never blink.
The weather may change, but not the dangerous game. American soldiers bring their own level of psychological warfare. Unlike the South Koreans, they prefer not to wear sunglasses to hide their eyes. They don't wear raincoats in the rain or winter coats in the snow, believing that projects weakness.
RING: It's almost a demonstration of your mental and physical toughness always out here.
SAVIDGE: Whether the American tactic earns North Korean respect isn't clear, but U.S. soldiers believe they have earned something else.
RING: I'd say that they hate us. You can see it in their eyes when they look at us.
SAVIDGE: At Panmungjam, if looks could kill, the body count on both sides would be high.
Martin Savidge, CNN, in the DMZ.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And for another fascinating report from Martin Savidge on the Korean DMZ, watch CNN's "Paula Zahn Now." That's tonight. For the first time ever, a TV camera goes out on a U.S. combat patrol looking for North Korean infiltrators. "Paula Zahn Now" airs tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 16, 2003 - 05:56 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: It's called the demilitarized zone but a battle is going on there, a type of psychological warfare.
CNN's Martin Savidge reports on some things you never knew about Korea's internal border.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): South Korean soldiers prepare for battle in the DMZ. It is a fight where the only weapon is a pair of eyes and the only thing shot is a glance.
(on camera): The DMZ stretches 150 miles, separating North and South. But nowhere else do the two sides come as close as they do here in Panmungjam (ph), literally separated only by inches, 16 inches of concrete.
(voice-over): Soldiers who serve on the Southern side are hand picked to be imposing. The minimum height for Americans is six feet. South Koreans must be at least 5'8." That's two inches taller than average in their country.
South Korean guards stand in a martial arts stance, their bodies only half exposed to the North, making them less of a target. Across the way, the North Korean soldiers are said to be the best fed in a nation that has suffered years of famine. But a number of them still look gaunt and drawn. They often stand sideways, facing each other.
MAJ. JOHN RING, JOINT SECURITY BATTALION: The reason for that is if one of those soldiers decides he wants to defect, the other soldier's duty is to shoot that soldier and prevent him from defecting.
SAVIDGE: Tensions rise during official meetings on the DMZ, as more guards come out. North Korean soldiers occupy a nearby building, which American soldiers have called the monkey house, referring to how the guards inside peek out. U.S. officers suspect the building houses heavy weapons, which are outlawed under DMZ rules.
Looking for possible violations of the armistice is a favorite pastime of both sides here. Cameras sprout almost everywhere, adding eyes that never blink.
The weather may change, but not the dangerous game. American soldiers bring their own level of psychological warfare. Unlike the South Koreans, they prefer not to wear sunglasses to hide their eyes. They don't wear raincoats in the rain or winter coats in the snow, believing that projects weakness.
RING: It's almost a demonstration of your mental and physical toughness always out here.
SAVIDGE: Whether the American tactic earns North Korean respect isn't clear, but U.S. soldiers believe they have earned something else.
RING: I'd say that they hate us. You can see it in their eyes when they look at us.
SAVIDGE: At Panmungjam, if looks could kill, the body count on both sides would be high.
Martin Savidge, CNN, in the DMZ.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And for another fascinating report from Martin Savidge on the Korean DMZ, watch CNN's "Paula Zahn Now." That's tonight. For the first time ever, a TV camera goes out on a U.S. combat patrol looking for North Korean infiltrators. "Paula Zahn Now" airs tonight at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
