The demilitarised zone (DMZ) separating North and South Korea is the most heavily fortified border in the world. But the 250km of fencing that’s patrolled by guards, dogs and machine-gun sentries also attracts tourists visiting from the South. In the midst of thawing relations between the two countries, South Korea’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization have announced a push to make the DMZ even more visitor-friendly. Further details have yet to be released but 13 local governments along the southern border are involved. While it is unlikely that the barracks and soldiers will be replaced with hotels and smiling lobby staff any time soon, the initiative to transform the DMZ from an active conflict zone into something more akin to a monument is laudable.

When it comes to keeping its submarine-bound nuclear deterrents active in the next 10 years, the UK government is in deep water. According to a report by the House of Commons’ Public Accounts Committee (PAC) the Ministry of Defence is staring down the barrel of a €5.5bn to €23.4bn “affordability gap” to provide the necessary upgrades to its boats. However, Robert Fox, senior research fellow for the Centre for Defence Studies at King’s College London, questions the wisdom of keeping a fleet of submarines in the water at all times. “The PAC is giving a warning that the budget is out of control and we haven’t even got to the stage of building a new submarine,” he says. “We use the word ‘deterrent’ but we have lost sight of what it is exactly that we are deterring.”