What Is The DMZ? Trump Won’t Visit North Korean Border On Asia Trip

The White House announced Tuesday that the president will not visit the DMZ on his visit to Asia this week. The DMZ is the demilitarized zone, an approximately 2.5-mile border between North and South Korea.

Despite its name, the DMZ is one of the most heavily fortified borders on earth. Both North and South Korea have large military buildups on either side of the border. North Korea has mortars and variety of traditional ordinance aimed at South Korea.

“The President is not going to visit the DMZ,” a White House Official announced Tuesday in a press conference. “There is not enough time in the schedule …[and visiting the DMZ is] a little bit of a cliché.”

The DMZ was created in 1953 by the Korean Armistice Agreement, which was a negotiated ceasefire between the north and south.

President Donald Trump said last week that whether he visits the DMZ would be a surprise to reporters. Trump will fly to Hawaii Friday, then kick off the tour five-country tour by heading to Japan on Sunday. Trump will also make stops in South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines.

In South Korea, Trump will visit Camp Humphreys, a joint US-South Korean military base, and speak to the country’s National Assembly.

Vice President Mike Pence, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary James Mattis have all visited the DMZ this year.

Trump, who has matched North Korea’s traditionally fiery rhetoric since becoming president has downplayed diplomacy with North Korea. Trump has tweeted that “only one thing will work” with North Korea and threatened to “completely destroy” the country in a speech to the United Nations. Trump has also tweeted that Tillerson is “wasting his time trying to negotiate” with North Korea.

North Korea and the U.S. do not have official diplomatic relations but speak through back channels.

An official in the administration walked that comment back to CNN Tuesday.

“The President did not tweet that diplomacy was a waste of time. He tweeted that direct talks were a waste of time,” a senior administration official told CNN. “The diplomatic campaign goes on. But the administration's position — the President's clear position — is that direct talks with North Korea are unwise at this time.”

Tension between North Korea and the U.S. has been high this year and Trump and others indicating that all options are on the table, including military ones, in dealing with the country. This year North Korea has aggressively showcased its missile and nuclear weapon advancements in a series of provocative tests including the detonation of what it claims was a hydrogen bomb last month.