A replica of one of the iron-clad turtle warships or Geobukseon with which Korea’s national hero Yi Sun-shin repulsed Japanese invaders will become the first vessel since the Korean War to travel the Han River-West Sea route that passes through the demilitarized zone (DMZ).
The full-sized replica currently anchored at the Han River Citizens Park will be towed along the lower river that passes through the DMZ to Tongyong in South Gyeongsang Province to take part in an exhibition there.
The middle portion of the lower Han River runs along the military demarcation line, and civilian boats are barred from the area unless they have permission from UN Military Command. But this has never happened, leaving even the waterway's exact measurements and safety unknown.
Using the occasion of the Geobukseon's travel through the DMZ, the Seoul Metropolitan Government hopes to start full-fledged discussions of the use of the waterway for peaceful purposes. Peaceful use of the Imjin and Han rivers by both North and South, it is hoped, could help on the long road toward unification.
The idea was born last year, when Seoul and Tongyong agreed to show the turtle boat on Hansan Island, where General Yi defeated the Japanese in a famous 1592 battle.
The Geobukseon will leave at 11 a.m. next Wednesday and pass through 15 km of the DMZ for around two hours. After sailing through the waters between Ganghwa Island and Gimpo, the vessel will arrive in Incheon harbor. It leaves on Nov.11 and will take around three days getting to Tongyong depending on the weather.
The replica is 34 m long, 10 m wide and 6.30 m high and was recreated by the Navy with W2.2 billion (US$2.2 million) from the government in 1990. Since then it has made regular appearances along the Han River as part of special national events.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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