Gangwon dmz tours · DMZ Tours in Gangwon
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DMZ Tours in Gangwon
DMZ Tours in Gangwon
The DMZ (Demilitarized zone) is the dividing line set up according to the Korean War cease-fire agreement on June 27, 1953. It is a buffer zone to stave off hostilities between North and South. Military activity or equipment is prohibited in strip of land four kilometers wide that runs the width of the entire peninsula and constitutes approximately 0.5 percent of Korean territory North and South. The United Nations Committee of Military Administration manages the Southern half of the DMZ. The DMZ is the world's only remaining symbol of a divided nation, and Gangwon-do is Korea's only divided province. DMZ tours offer visitors a chance see how time has been at a standstill for the past half century. In Gangwon-do, DMZ tours are available in
Cheorwon at the far West of the province, in Yanggu county in the center, and on the East coast at Goseong, about 50km North of Sokcho.
Cheorwon (철원)
Saemtong Migratory Bird's Sanctuary:
Saemtong is a 5,000-square-meter natural pond that never freezes. The surrounding area in a 2-kilometer radius is a haven for migratory birds from November through March. Of the 1,300 white-napped cranes around the world, some 800 of them can be spotted in Cheorwon during this period. A commemorative picture of the cranes in this area was presented to Queen Elizabeth.
Goseokjeong Pavilion:
This two-story tower was established under King Jinpyeong of the Silla Kingdom. Goseokjeong Pavilion was built above a valley, surrounded by cliffs and clear, blue waters. The battlefield conservation office here is the starting point for DMZ tours.
Woljeong-ri Station:
This was a through-station before the division of the two Koreas, but now is the northernmost terminal station near the southern boundary of the DMZ. A large sign says The train wants to run, symbolizing the tragedy of national division.
The Second Underground Tunnel:
Discovered on March 19, 1975, the Second Underground Tunnel is wide enough to pass 30,000 soldiers an hour and even large armored vehicles. The tunnel has been developed into a tourist site so that visitors can tour the tunnel.
Cheorui Samgakji (The Iron Triangle Zone):
This observatory has the capacity for 300 people at once. Through eight sets of high-quality binoculars visitors can view the DMZ, the Pyeonggang highlands and propaganda village (a village built only to brag that North Korea is enjoying high living standards), a Kim Il Sung native home, and "Bloody Ridge" in North Korea.
Labor Party Building:
Built in 1946 under fund-raising and labor forced by the North Korean government, the shelled-out carcass of a building is in Soviet-type architecture with concrete building. For security reasons, only devoted communist partisans were allowed to work within the building.
Seungilgyo Bridge:
A bridge that North and South Korea built together - the North completed the basic construction and two piers while the remaining parts were completely by the South. The name of the bridge is Seungilgyo after 'Seung' of the late President Rhee Seung Man, and 'Il' of President Kim Il Sung so as to commemorate the ironic construction process.
Yanggu (양구)
Punch Bowl:
A valley by 400-to-500-meter-above-sea-level highlands near the coast of Yanggu-gun. American reporters dubbed the basin the punch bowl. From Dolsanryeong that is between the east side and coasts in Yanggu-gun, visitors can view the beautiful panorama of the sea of fog that often hangs around the punch bowl.
The Fourth Underground Tunnel:
This is the only of the North-Korean-built tunnels discovered with motorized transport inside. The water flowing out from the tunnel have filtered through mountain rock and is considered healthy to drink.
Eulji Observatory Tower:
Eulji Observatory Tower is located 1,049 meters above sea level and one of the bitterest battlegrounds of the Korean War. From the tower, visitors can see the checkpoint and farms in North Korea and four peaks including Birobong, the highest in the Geumgangsan Diamond Mountains.
Goseong (고성)
Unification Observatory:
As the observatory closest to North Korea and the Northernmost point of the ROK, more than one million people visit this area on an annual basis. Visitors can see the Geumgangsan (Diamond Mountains) and the Haegeumgang in North Korea, with the naked eye, and unlike many other observatories, photographs are allowed everywhere. In the observatory North Korean food products are for sale, and the North Korean beer is actually quite good. Several Clunky North Korean-made Viewmasters give three-dimensional slide shows of idyllic scenes from the DPRK, with commentary in Korean, for a 500 Won coin. The windy road to the observatory brings forth a sense of tension due to the barbed-wire entanglements along the coast and soldiers stationed on alert at a checkpoint along the approach. Tickets and passage papers have to be obtained 4km before the first checkpoint or you will be made to turn around. The building to obtain these papers is not hard to find, it is on the left as you drive North just after the "World Mineral Museum," but the sign 100m before it is only in Korean.
Hwajinpo Beach:
Surrounded by pine forests, Hwajinpo Beach with its white sand was a foreigner-exclusive summerhouse during the time of Japanese imperialism. The surrounding scenery is so beautiful that it was the summerhouse of Kim Il Sung and Rhee Seung Man after liberation from Japan. In the winter, cranes of various species visit Hwajinpo Beach to create a beautiful panorama. This area also became famous for filming the popular drama Autumn in my heart and now many fans come to Hwanjinpo to collect a sample of the beach sand.
Summerhouse of Kim Il Sung:
The house is embedded in a cliff where you can have a bird's eye view of the beautiful Hwajinpo beach. There is an exhibition of Kim Il Sung's personal belongings including furniture. On the stairs up to the summerhouse, photos are displayed of Kim Jeong-il during his early days.
Maritime Museum:
Located at the entrance of Hwajinpo Beach, the Maritime Museum exhibits 40,000 articles of 1,500 types of shellfish, corals and fossils some very rare.
Geumgangsan Diamond Mountains Land Tour:
This is a one-day tour starting at 5AM in Goseong with return by nightfall. This tour is not only an important project of North-South Korea exchange with global significance but also a historical trip symbolizing the start of a new Silk Road, which has been closed to the public for decades.
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Gangwon
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Gangwon - updated Apr 2024
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Gangwon Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.