text: 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 don'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 .
target: South Korean adventure seekers have founded a surfing community near the country'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 adventure class, hipsters, gangsters and ex-pats .