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Mt. Kumgangsan, North Korea
Since
late 1998 when South Korea's largest conglomerate, the Hyundai
Group recieved authorization to sell tours to North Korea
from Tonghae, South Korea landing in Changjon about 100 km,
southeast of Wonju on North Korea's east coast overnight cruise
aboard the Kumgangho Cruise Ship. This tour is one day and
two nights aboard ship, and has been sold to mostly nationals
of South Korea, but the demand has been increasing three fold. Apart
from perhaps Mount Changbai to the Chinese or Pektusan as
it's known to Koreans, which straddles the Chinese and North
Korean boarder, Kumgansan is perhaps the most picturesque
and pristine areas left in all of Korea. In a land otherwise
suffering from severe economic stress, periodic food shortages,
droughts, floods, political uncertainty and disrespect for
the land, this area is perhaps one of North Korea's salvations
in so far as the land is not overrun by tourism and it's shear
popularity due to it's unique natural beauty. |
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For
North Korea, visitors provide much needed hard currency for
the country as well as expose an area well worth preserving
to the world at large.At the moment contact with the natives
while transiting from the harbor to the park's entry is extremely
limited and controlled. However brief and limited, this provides
the world's first glimpse into the last Stalinist stronghold
of a country closed to most of the world for over 50 years.
We are able to book this
tour in conjunction with a visit to Seoul, South Korea of
at least four days during the operational season. Some restrictions
apply and all tours are subject to cancellation without notice.
Whilst in Seoul, you may combine this with a full day's tour
and visit to Panmunjom (South Korean side).
NB: There are three other authorized
entry points into North Korea which are: A) Entry at Shinuiju
by train over the Yalu River from Dandong, China which originates
from Beijing via Shenyang; B) Flying into Sunan International
Airport (FNJ) north of Pyongyang from Beijing. C) Sometimes
from Vladivostok in the Russian Far East via Khasan entering
through Songbong (Najin) over the Tumen River via train. Access
into the country via the truce village of Panmumjom located
within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) dividing the two Koreas
is not possible.
At present, other than participating
in the Kumgangsan Tour, travel within North Korea is quite
arduous, carries some risk and requires quite a bit of advance
and ongoing caution in preparation to obtain the necessary
visa for entry. You must be prepared for abject poverty and
suffering of the people, inadequate, delayed and cancelled
transport and infrastructure as well as sometimes jarring
political views. |
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