The DMZ, Korea's accidental paradise

"In 1953, hostilities between warring North Korea and South Korea ended when an armistice agreement was signed. It mapped out a demilitarized zone (DMZ) between the countries that is 250 kilometers long and on average 4 kilometers wide...evidence of rare Asiatic black bears, Amur Leopards, and Amur gorals (a type of mountain goat) living there . . . "We call the region an accidental paradise,” says Seung-ho Lee, president of the DMZ Forum, a group that campaigns to protect the area’s ecological and cultural heritage. “Scientists are amazed by this reclamation by nature, regenerated by itself . . . The DMZ is home to more than 5,000 species, 106 of which have protected status, the South Korean Ministry of Environment reports. White-naped cranes and black-faced spoonbills are among the rarer species to seek refuge there, among the minefields and abandoned towns."