The Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is the tense, razor-thin buffer between Communist North Korea and U.S.-allied South Korea. It was carved out after the 1953 armistice, and though it’s technically “demilitarized,” both sides are armed to the teeth just outside the zone. Soldiers in steel helmets patrol the barbed-wire fences, tanks and artillery line the hills, and spy planes keep a constant watch. The DMZ is a symbol of the global struggle between East and West, where every move is watched and missteps could spark a major conflict. ERA: LATE 1980S NATIONS: DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA