Monday, April 03, 2017

"Why am I here?" Lee Min-ho experiences the DMZ

Actor Lee Min-ho set out to research the ecology in the demilitarized zone (DMZ). The experience was worth it.

The MBC foundation anniversary special documentary "DMZ The Wild" is presented by Lee Min-ho. Not only does he present the documentary, but he tagged along with the staff to research the DMZ.

Lee Min-ho ate frozen Kimbab and drank frozen water. He then staked out for 6 hours before running into a wild pig. They were 5 meters away from it but Lee Min-ho managed to scare it as it ran away as soon as their eyes locked.

However, the harsh conditions of the DMZ made Lee Min-ho feel regret about volunteering to go there. He thought he'd be experiencing new things and finding new species but the most common thing he found were landmines.

Lee Min-ho shook with cold in the minus 20 degrees Celsius weather and climbed a 1,000 meter mountain. Through his narration, he said, "The soldiers here climb up and down this mountain all the time" but in reality he felt his legs were going to burst. He narrated, "The DMZ is the worst place to make a documentary".

About the DMZ, Lee Min-ho said, "For about 5 minutes, I was excited and ran about. But the reality of the DMZ was too harsh. The sound of the black-tailed gulls nearly gave me a mental illness. However, he did get to meet the wild boar which is the greatest predator in the DMZ, and even met an elk as well as touched a snake.

Lee Min-ho said, "I think I've done enough hiking for the rest of my life. Out of the 24 hours there, having something warm enter my body was the best time".

"It's only 1 or 2 hours away from Seoul. Although I am a Korean, I didn't know this kind of a place existed. We are still at war".

Lee Min-ho is joining the army and decided to do something meaningful. He camped out with the staff and crew for almost 700 days for this documentary.



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