Today, if you think about travelling to Korea, you’ll probably think about Pyongyang.
These days, this bustling city on the Taedong has some of the country’s most well-known monuments and landmarks.
But, if we travel back over a millennia, the political centre of the Korean peninsula sat 130km to the south.
During the Koryo dynasty, this city, built around the Jiphari stream, was the political and cultural core of the dynasty.
It hosted the grandest palaces, most beautiful temples, the foremost academies and was the site where the dynasty itself came to a bloody end.
1000 years later, and the city is a popular spot for visitors, both foreign and domestic. So, let’s take a look and what you to expect when visiting Kaesong.
Drive from Pyongyang
One of the highlights of any visit to the city of Kaesong is a trip to the nearby DMZ at Panmunjom, situated at the terminus of the Reunification Highway.
It’s best to arrive early in the morning so, on many tours you’ll find yourself leaving Pyongyang early to drive down south. However, for this article, our itinerary will be slightly different.
Leaving Pyongyang late in the day, we’ll join the 170km long reunification highway and leave the capital for our 3 hour drive down south.
Along the way we’ll pass beneath the Arch of Reunification, and through the city of Sariwon, both of which make for handy stopping points with their own interesting and unique selling points.
Continuing our journey we’ll reach the distinctive Tea House which stretches out over the road providing a brief respite for weary travellers making their way between the two cities.
However, our journey doesn’t end here! We’ll carry on down the remaining 74km of asphalt until we arrive in Kaesong City.
Upon arrival, we’ll check into our hotel. Whilst there are a handful of options for the discerning foreign traveller in Kaesong, we’ll be staying at the Minsok Folk Hotel, notable for it’s traditional style and picturesque river which flows through the centre of the hotel.
Upon checking in, we’ll retire to our Korean-style rooms to prepare for the day ahead!
Walk to Namdaemun
This morning we’ll forgo the bus and instead take a stroll through the cobbled streets of Kaesong, from the Minsok Folk Hotel to Namdaemun, which translates to ‘South Gate’.
When Korea was divided at the end of the Second World War, Kaesong fell on the southern side, under the governance of the US occupation, however during the Korean War, Kaesong became the only city to change hands, now falling on the northern side of the DMZ.
For this reason, it avoided the bombardment which levelled almost all of the DPRK’s cities, and as a result, Kaesong retains many of the traditional Korean buildings, winding alleyways and impressive complexes, many of which date back to the dynastic era.
Our first stop today is one of these very artefacts, Namdaemun.
The gate was constructed as the Koryo dynasty collapsed and replaced by the Choson dynasty, between 1391 and 1393.
The stone portion of the gate is original, although the pavilion was one of the few casualties of the Korean War and was reconstructed in 1954.
Panmunjom
Meeting our bus in the city centre, we’ll set off to visit one of the most famous locations not just in the North, but in the whole of Korea.
The inter-Korean DMZ stretches across the Korean peninsula dividing it into North and South.
At the end of the reunification highway is the entrance to Panmunjom peace village and the Joint Security Korea.
We’ll arrive at the entrance for our briefing before driving into Panmunjom itself, originally a village where armistice talks were held, and now the site of the Panmunjom Peace Museum.
After seeing where the agreement was signed in 1953 we’ll carry on further, eventually reaching the most famous part of this site.
On the northern side, notable highlights include Tongil-gak and Panmun-gak, the two major buildings on the DPRK side, the ubiquitous blue and white buildings which straddle the military demarcation line, and the monument of the signature of the President Kim Il Sung.
The DMZ is a popular tour spot for visitors from both sides of the line, and we’ll get a great view from the balcony of Panmungak over the whole complex.
However, time is of the essence and we’ll soon reboard our vehicles and return to Kaesong.
Kaesong Koryo Museum
Our next stop will give us a glimpse into the past as we visit the Kaesong Koryo Museum, dedicated to the Koryo dynasty which made this city it’s capital.
The museum is housed in the picturesque former Songgyungwan Academy, the foremost educational institution in Korea during the Koryo and Choson dynasties.
see some incredible artefacts discovered in and around Kaesong and even stop at the small stamp shop before leaving to pick up some souvenirs.
Janamsan & Lunch
At the heart of the city of Kaesong you’ll find the ubiquitous statues of the Great Leaders atop Janam Hill, or Janamsan. We’ll pay a visit to this hill in central Kaesong, visit the statues and enjoy the views over the old city before heading for lunch.
At the foot of the hill is our lunch stop.
Here, we’ll enjoy a traditional Korean royal lunch. With dozens of brass bowls offering everything one could wish from a Korean-style lunch.
This is how the upper classes enjoyed their meals during the days of the dynasty, so it’s fitting we’re enjoying this classy meal in the former capital.
Concrete Wall
After a filling lunch we’ll turn once again from ancient history to modern history as we refocus on the modern division of Korea.
Travelling east of Kaesong, we’ll arrive at a guard station overlooking the 4km wide demilitarised zone.
However, views of Northern guardposts and UN bases aren’t the main attraction from the viewpoint.
We’re here to catch a glimpse of the notorious concrete wall. Officially denied by the US and southern forces, the northern side claim this wall, running along the southern side of the DMZ, is a physical symbol of Korea’s division.
According to estimates from the DPRK, the wall is 240km long, between 5 and 8 metres high, between 10 and 20 metres wide at the base and between 3 and 7 metres wide at the top.
We’ll hear a lecture on the symbolic importance of such a division and the goal of eventual reunification from officers of the Korean People’s Army stationed along the DMZ with the heavy task of defending the frontier of the republic.
Tomb of King Kongmin
Leaving the frontline, we’ll dive back into ancient history as we drive through Kaesong and into Kaepung county, home to one of the many Koryo-era tombs which litter this part of Korea. The Tomb of King Kongmin is our destination today.
The Hwanghae region of Korea is home to the final resting places of many Koryo-era monarchs, and the one we’ll be visiting is no less grand than any other, especially since it has been kept in remarkable condition.
The site consists of two burial mounds, one for the late King and the other for his wife, the Mongolian princess Budashiri who went by the title Queen Noguk during her consortship.
Manwoldae
With royalty on the brain, we’ll stop at another important Koryo site as we trundle back towards Kaesong. The ruins at Manwoldae are all that remain from the royal court which ruled over the peninsula.
Today, the stone steps and ancient walls don’t do justice to the incredible palace which once stood on this site.
Although the foundations are all that remain, the original palace covered an area of 1,250,000 square metres and is thought to have incorporated numerous buildings for the royal family to reside, this area was called the 궁성, whilst the day-to-day operations of the royal court were held in the 황성.
Unlike Gyeongbokgung in modern day Seoul, seat of power for the Joseon dynasty, Manwoldae didn’t have an official name. The modern term came to be used during the Joseon dynasty to describe the ruins of the site.
Sonjuk Bridge
It’s fitting we end our tour of the Koryo Dynasty capital with the collapse of the dynasty itself. It was in Kaesong that the dynasty came to a bloody end.
As we return to the heart of the old city, we’ll visit Sonjuk Bridge.
By 1392, the Koryo Dynasty was on its knees as General Yi Song Gye commanded a revolution against the Koryo court. In the immediate aftermath of the collapse of the government, an attempt was made to win the support of Jeong Mong Ju, a notable politician still loyal to the old guard.
After a lavish party in Kaesong, Jeong Mong Ju was assassinated at Sonjuk bridge in Kaesong. The attack is seen by many as the symbolic end of the Koryo dynasty and the beginning of the Joseon dynasty which would see Korea right through almost to the 20th century.
It is said a brown mark on the bridge is a bloodstain from the assassination, turning red whenever it rains.
End of the Day
As the day draws to a close, we’ll return to the hotel for dinner and, perhaps, to enjoy a performance of the Kayagum, a traditional Korean stringed instrument.
As the sun sets over this ancient capital, we’ll be able to enjoy the view of twilight as it settles over the stone walls and rooftops of Kaesong, preparing for whatever the day ahead holds.
Whether the tour continues with a return to the modernising capital, Pyongyang, the nearby regional capital of Sariwon, or a real adventure to the rarely visited south-eastern city of Haeju, there’s no doubt you’ll always remember Kaesong as a completely unique and incredible city.
