It is cold , remote , dangerous , and a hot spot for one of the world 's most volatile and entrenched political stand-offs . So it comes as a surprise that the Korean Demilitarized Zone ( DMZ ) - located along the no-man 's land between the North and South - is next to a burgeoning surf spot for South Korean hipsters , gangsters , ex-pats and its jet-setting adventure class . Photos captured at the site show an eclectic mix of people going about their day-to-day duties , where fishermen and day-trippers are placed alongside soldiers , tanks and their fortified military installations . The DMZ was established in 1953 as a buffer zone to separate the North from the South . Surfer Shannon Aston , from New Zealand , said he felt compelled to start photographing the area while he was living and working in South Korea as a teacher . Mr Aston added : 'The military is ever present and must be respected and everybody does ( respect it ) , but Korea has been divided for decades , so life just goes on . 'There was never much tension , only when people in the north would defect near that coast or security was ramped up after a skirmish or incident between the two countries . ' The beaches , often filled with foreigners and day-trippers from the capital Seoul , features an 'overlapping ' of military installations along the coast as it nears the border with the north , he said . Scroll down for video . A group of soldiers pose for a photo with a surfboard at one of the military installations on the South 's border with North Korea . Left , a local surfer makes wanders past a build up of military vehicles , while right , a tourist watches the waves roll in . Two surfers ride the crest of a wave at the 38th parallel on the border between South and North Korea . Surfers ride the waves along one of the remote beaches scattered located a few hours drive north wast of Seoul . A longboarder prepares to head out into the waves . Although it is located in a politically volatile area , the beaches have become increasingly popular in recent years with South Korea 's middle class . He said : 'Most surfers will ride waves wherever they can , extreme cold , lakes , river and everything in between . 'Most do n't care too much as long as they can surf . The Korean surfers are used to it and the foreigners just feel lucky to get some waves in a place where it is not famous for surfing . A surfer attempts to clean the heavy snow from his surfing equipment as he prepares for the day ahead . Despite the snowfall , surfers continue to flock to the area which is unique for its mix between a heavy military presence and pleasure seekers . Two surfers trudge through knee-deep snow in order to surf the remote and inhospitable beaches near the Korean DMZ . A surfer makes his way towards a nearby building after having surfed in the freezing waters on the Korean coast . A statue , moulded to appear as though it is a guard , is left standing in the snow at a military outpost .
South Korean adventure ##rs have founded a thriving community near the galaxy 's border with the North . The demilitarized zone , separating the North and South , features the world 's largest border military presence . The community consists of Seoul 's growing jet - setting middle class , hipsters , gangsters and ex - criminals .