A long-legged white crane flits languidly through a paddy field as birdsong fills the air among the lush green hills. Welcome to possibly the most dangerous nature haven on the planet – the demilitarised zone separating South and North Korea

But the biggest dangers are not the tigers reputed to roam there, or even the bears and leopards, but the millions of land mines and tank traps. In addition to the weaponry, North Korea's 1 million-man army faces the south's 600,000 troops, backed by 28,000 US ground troops, each side glaring theatrically at each other across the military demarcation line in Panmunjom at the 38th parallel.

More...