P'aju Things to Do

4 more images

DMZ tour is Different from Panmunjeon Tour (DMZ tour doesn't go to Panmunjeom) hence the price is lower in DMZ tours. (Hotel - Imjingak Park - The Bridge of Freedom - DMZ Theater & Exhibition Hall - The 3rd Infiltration Tunnel - Dora Observatory - Dora Station - Pass by Unification Village - Ginseng center (or Amethyst factory) - Hotel) and it costs 48,000 won.

Panmunjeom tours go to JSA, Peace House, Freedom House, Camp Bonifas, Bridge of Return, checkpoint 3 and costs 70,000 won for a half day tour and must be reserved at least 1 day in advance. A popular option is to Combine both and the cost is about 125,000 won.

Caveat: always have your passport ready and wear smart casual clothes (no tank tops, spaghetti straps, flip flops, shorts, t-shirts, etc.) in Camp Bonifas, they will let you sign a waiver to avoid any liability if something happens to you.

4 more images

freight trains began traveling north past Dorasan Station into North Korea in 2007 taking materials to the Kaesong Industrial Region, and returning with finished goods. It is scheduled to make one 10 mile trip every weekday. Plans to begin regular passenger service across the Imjin River to North Korea have yet to be finalized but hope springs eternal for the koreans.

4 more images

A milestone of Dorasan station, which reads ‘205km from Pyeongyang and 56km from Seoul, has hope and anticipation for the future as well as the reality of division. It is expected that Dorasan station will be in charge of services for customs and clearance of men and goods and a hub of trade among North Korea, China, and Russia when the railroad of the Gyeongui line is connected.

Dorasan Station is railroad station situated on the Gyeongui Line, which once connected North and South Korea and has now been restored. For several years the northernmost stop on the line was Dorasan Station, which is served by Tonggeun commuter trains.

4 more images

this is the second stop of the DMZ and DMZ + Panmunjeon Tours. Here you can find the third infiltration tunnel and the Korean Memorial with pictures and dioramas plus you can watch an 8 minute south korean propaganda film about the korean war.

4 more images

Mt. Dora Observation Platform is located nearby the 3rd Tunnel. From this observation platform, North Korean military personnel are said to be visible, and so are the city of Gaeseong and the Propaganda Village but unfortunately, when we arrived here at mount Dora Observatory, it was cloudy hence I can barely see the North Korean Side!

4 more images

too bad that it was cloudy when we visited it so you can't see kaesong, ongjin peninsula at the horizon even with binoculars. those areas were originally part of south korea since they are below the 38th parallel but was captured by the north during the war. South korea captured land above the 38th parallel in the east part. (sockcho and mount sorak are above the 38th!) hence the 38th parallel ceased to be the dividing line, and the Military Demarcation Line is the de facto border nowadays!

4 more images

The Third Tunnel of Aggression was discovered in October of 1978. It is located 52km from Seoul. It is apparently designed for a surprise attack on Seoul from North Korea and can easily accommodate a full division per hour along with their weaponry. A total of four tunnels have been discovered so far, but there are believed to be up to ten moreApproximately 10,000 soldiers can move through this tunnel in one hour.

4 more images

The 1950-1953 Korean War came to an end with the division of the country along .. the 38th Parallel. To the north, with the backing of communist Chinese and Soviet troops, a Stalinist state was fully established; while in the south predominantly American forces with the backing of the United Nations supported the régime there. This division, which reflected ancient factions in Korean society, helped shape geopolitics for the remainder of the twentieth century. The border stretches from the west to the east coast of the Korean peninsula, is 4 km wide and is known as the Demilitarized Zone, or DMZ, (In the Middle is the Military Demarcation Line or MDL) something of a misnomer considering the huge number of military personnel (over two million troops) and matériel in position. This is the LAST front line of the Cold War.

Caveat: DMZ tour is Different from Panmunjeon Tour (DMZ tour doesn't go to Panmunjeom) hence the price is lower in DMZ tours. (Hotel - Imjingak Park - The Bridge of Freedom - DMZ Theater & Exhibition Hall - The 3rd Infiltration Tunnel - Dora Observatory - Dora Station - Pass by Unification Village - Ginseng center (or Amethyst factory) - Hotel) and it costs 48,000 won. Panmunjeom tours go to JSA, Camp Bonifas, Bridge of Return and costs 70,000 won. Apopular option is to Combine both and the cost is about 125,000 won.

4 more images

Imjingak, located 7 km from the Military Demarcation Line, was built in 1972, The park has many statues and monuments regarding the Korean War. The park was built to console those from North Korea who are unable to return to their hometowns, friends and families because of the division of Korea. Imjingak is where the "Freedom Bridge" lies. The Freedom bridge does not actually cross the Imjin river, but it is a bridge which was used by refugees from the north. It crosses a stream adjacent to the Imjin river. In front of Imjingak, there is the Gyeongui Train Line which was destroyed during the Korean Conflict in 1950. It has been under construction since 2000

1 more image

This is the northernmost observatory in South Korea where one can see right into North Korea. Be aware one cannot take photographs directly next to the walls and South Korean soldiers will stop you.