Seeable but Untouchable, North Korea

 

Odu Moutain Unification Observatory in Paju, Gyeonggi-do, August 28th 2022

Can you belive it? North Korea is just right over there!

Another unbelievable thing is how we hadn’t visited here before while living in Paju over 10 years.

 

Here in Korea, we’re already in Autumn. Beautifully blue sky and clean air, which is perfect to see something distance.

We arrived very early time, before 10:00 a.m.(It opends 9:00 a.m.), but there were many foreign visitors already at the observatory on the cliff.

Silent villages just across the river

Alex said he coud see some people, but when I looked at the village through the telescope I couldn’t spot anyone.

My city Paju has the highway, called Jayuro which means ‘Liberty Road’, connecting Seoul to the very northern tip of South Korea. Many big towns are next to this highway and the vast majority of residents of the towns use Jayuro to commute to their work places in Seoul, no wonder there is the rush-hour. This is a photo of a part of the highway I took at the observatory cafe(the cafe has a panorama view).

But can you believe this? The river is alongside the highway and across the river is North Korean territory.

Look at the pictures above. The highway of South Korea on the right, North Korean villages on the left. This is for real. 

I told this to my Canadian friend. She was so interested and asked me how I felt at the moment. I said I felt weired because I could tell North Korean people could see us from their side. And Jayuro is full of car lights at night and … 

This is my town. Apartment and comercial blocks around a big lake park. This is South Korea. Between two Koreas is only a river.

I feel weired and sad. She said we were born in South Korea and Canada and they were born in North Korea, it was not our choice and not their choice either. She and I know we can’t simply think we are lucky.

A small memorial site for people fleed from the North during the Korean War. 

Clean and bright restrooms with a view.

Access for the handicapped was good, staffers were so nice.

Admission (as of August 31, 2022) 

Adults : 3,000won

Students(up to high school) : 1,600won

Preschoolers and 65 and over : free

(They offer discounted fee to a group and Paju citizens.)

Opening Hour

9:00 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Every Monday is off. If the Monday is holiday, the next day is off.

Web Site

Odu Mountain Unification Observatory

http://www.jmd.co.kr/m/main/main.asp

Tips for ♿

- We could hardly find any problem to walk around this place. The only thing was that there was no telescope to fit a person on a wheelchair. Beside that everything was good.

Tips about public transportation (from Hapjeong subway station)

- Take the No.2200 bus at the Gate No.1 of Hapjeong subway station -> Around 60 mins bus riding -> Take off the bus at Seongdong Sageori(Seongdong Intersection) -> Walking 5 mins.

- If you are on a wheel chair or need help, then I recommend to use a group tour service and take some help.

#korea #tour #travel #wheelchair #north_korea #drive #observatory #paju #odu_mountain #barrier_free