Unsettled Peace: Korea's DMZ
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Port
Sokcho, South Korea
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Activity Level
Moderate
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Excursion Type
All
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At
$199.95
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 6½ Hours
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Meals Included
Meals included
Built by an Army unit in 1983, Goseong Unification Observatory is the closest place for viewing Geumgangsan Mountain in North Korea, just ten miles away. From the observatory, you can see Haegeumgang, and Manmulsang and Hyeonjongam islands nearby. On a clear day, you can also glimpse various peaks of Geumgangsan Mountain. Many people visiting the observatory had to leave their homes in North Korea and were separated from their families during the Korean War. You can see monuments built in the hope of reunification here.
Tongil Security Park, at the entrance of the Unification Observatory, was built in 1987 as a national security site. You must pass through a security checkpoint here.
Although the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) Museum speaks to a painful past, the museum today embraces everything about the latest efforts made to transform the DMZ from a place of political scars to a symbol of peace and ecology. The museum features exhibition halls arranged under a number of different themes that underscore the historical significance of the DMZ and its value as a treasure trove of ecology for the future.
Visit Hwaamsa Temple in the foothills of the Geumgangsan mountains, considered the epicenter of the Korean people's prayers for reunification. Hwaamsa Temple was founded in 769 by Jipyoyulsa, who established penitent Buddhism in Korea. The temple has since been reconstructed several times after damage by fire, flood and the Korean War.
Notes:
Bring your passport on tour. You will not enter the DMZ or North Korea on this tour. There is a long walk from the parking lot to the temple entrance at Geumgangsan Hwaamsa. Wear comfortable walking shoes. Shade is limited; to avoid sunburn, wear light, long clothing suitable for use as a cover-up. Bring a hat and sunglasses; wear biodegradable sunscreen. Bring bottled water.