Korean Job Discussion Forums

[createasaurus21]

Is there a road running along the North/South border? A friend and I are thinking of riding motorcycles this weekend and thought it might be a possibility.

[djsmnc]

Yeah! You can just ride along and wave at the North Korean soldiers!

[oldtactics]

You can't see North Korea from South Korea - the DMZ is 4 miles wide and patrolled 24/7 by militaries from both sides.

There are small towns along the DMZ border that are worth checking out, but without a tour or escort, you can't get into the DMZ. Well, I suppose you can, but I wouldn't risk it.

[createasaurus21]

[createasaurus21]

I guess to be more exact: is there a road that runs along the DMZ that is free to travel on?

[Cheonmunka]

The northen public road cuts in and out like those zig zag scissors. Apart from a few spots can't see much, but, if you get up there like in YeonCheon there are some places where you can merely glimpse the North. Strangely, the best place I went to is where the observation tower is. Direct view down on them.

[neil537]

I can't speak for Eastern bits of the DMZ, but the main route on the West side ( into Panmunjom) you wouldn't even be able to get near the Southern boundary of the DMZ beacuse there is a buffer zone before that (called the 'Civilian Control Zone' or something) which starts at the Freedom Bridge over the Imjin river. They only let tour buses,military and people who are on business or live there cross that bridge so you wouldn't get in.

Might be worth trying a bit further East, but its not something I would take chances on....the boys up there don't mess around!

[sojukettle]

Bike path at DMZ to open in September

May 08, 2009

Cyclists will be free to ride along the heavily fortified inter-Korean border when a restricted zone off-limits to civilians since the end of fighting in the Korean War in 1953 is opened in September, according to the Gyeonggi provincial government yesterday.

For the past 56 years only people living in the area and farmers working the fields there have had access to the two-kilometer (1.2-mile) dirt track, which runs five to 10 kilometers south of the demilitarized zone in Gyeonggi.

To protect military facilities, the provincial government will enforce strict rules for when non-military personnel can visit and how many.

The plan is to allow up to 300 civilians to cycle for three hours on the second and fourth Sunday of each month.

In anticipation of increased numbers of cyclists heading toward the border with North Korea, more facilities have been planned.

�The provincial office will consult with the Land Ministry and Korea Railroad Corporation to reserve a section on the train on the Gyeongui Line just to hold bikes so that more people across the country can take their bikes with them to the zone,� said Gyeonggi Governor Kim Moon-soo.

Speaking after cycling with Paju residents to promote the use of bicycles, the governor explained that the project was not just about exercise.

�By allowing people to ride bikes on this newly opened track, I want to give people hope for peaceful unification,� Kim said.

The Gyeongui Line, one of the oldest railways in Korea, stretches from Seoul to Dorasan, the northernmost station in South Korea.

Gyeonggi officials said they are planning to introduce bike tour packages to cater to cyclists once the track is open.

That�s not all. The officials added that they were in the middle of consultations with the Ministry of Defense, with whom they have collaborated to bring this plan to fruition, about the possibility of opening more roads for bike riding within the restricted zone starting next January.

�We are going to complete the consultation process with the ministry at the end of this year,� said provincial official Kim Dae-ho. �We are also planning to stay open more days, add more hours and allow more people to cycle in these areas from January.�

The provincial office said it will start accepting applications 10 days before the cyclists� planned ride, via the Web sites of the Paju city government and the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization

[Dee Lister]

yeah theres a great road that runs right next to nkorea , even passes through at several points. all the smiley field workers wave at you when you drive by. the border guard even wave and smile! after that you can dip into nkorean village for a quick lunch. dumbass

[Stones1962]

Take the road up to Paju City and beyong...you can see North Korea and their little Potemkin villages quite well...at one point you come within 200 meters of the demarcation line

[djsmnc]

[createasaurus21]

hahha, is it really THAT weird to think that there might be a road on the south korea side that runs along or near the DMZ? I'm guessing there are towns near the DMZ on the south side, and where there are towns there are roads. Hell even if there are no towns, there might be farm roads on the south side?