Kaesong and the DMZ: Panmunjom and Korea's old royal capital

The drive south

The road from Pyongyang to Kaesong, the Reunification Highway, runs for about one hundred and sixty kilometres through farmland and small villages. Tours usually stop at a roadside rest house halfway, one of the few chances to see rural life up close. Expect checkpoints along the way; your guides handle them, and photography there is not allowed.

Panmunjom and the Joint Security Area

**Panmunjom** is the village where the armistice that halted the Korean War was signed in 1953. From the northern side, tours visit the **Armistice Talks Hall** and the **Armistice Signing Hall**, where the original tables and flags are displayed, before a North Korean officer briefs you on the official account of the war. At the **Joint Security Area**, the blue conference huts straddle the line, and you look across to the South Korean side. Access to the JSA depends on the political situation and has been suspended at times, so check with your operator.

Near the DMZ you may also be shown a viewpoint over the **Concrete Wall** that North Korea says the South built along the border. These stops present a strongly one sided version of history, and many visitors find it useful to read about the war from other sources before and after.

Kaesong old town

Kaesong was the Koryo capital from 918 to 1392. The **Koryo Museum** occupies the restored **Sungkyunkwan**, a Confucian academy founded in the tenth century with old ginkgo and zelkova trees in its courtyards. The small **Sonjuk Bridge** is where a famous Koryo loyalist, Jong Mong Ju, was killed in 1392. Outside town, the **Tomb of King Kongmin** sits on a hillside with stone guardian statues, and the **Tomb of King Wang Kon**, founder of the dynasty, has been restored on a grand scale.

Food and ginseng

Lunch in Kaesong is usually a **pansanggi**, a royal style set meal served in a row of small brass bowls, with dishes such as meat, egg, vegetables and soup. Kaesong is also famous for **Koryo insam**, Korean ginseng, which you will see sold in many forms.

Staying overnight

Some tours stay at the **Kaesong Folk Hotel**, a group of traditional tiled houses by a stream, with heated ondol floors and simple rooms. It is atmospheric and quiet, though basic. Others return to Pyongyang the same evening, or stay at the modern Janamsan Hotel in town.

Tips for the day

Start early: it is a long day with a lot of driving. Dress respectfully for the military briefings, keep your camera down unless guides confirm photos are fine, and do not gesture or call out towards the southern side. See Pyongyang for where most tours start and end.

What to bring

Bring your passport, as checkpoints on the road ask for it. Pack water, snacks and sun protection, and in winter wear warm layers, as the DMZ is exposed and windy. Dress tidily for the military briefing.

Seeing the DMZ from both sides

Some travellers visit Panmunjom from the South Korean side on another trip. Comparing the two visits, and the two versions of the war you hear, is one of the most thought provoking experiences in Korea.