Places in South Korea: Ganghwa Peace Observatory

Basic Information

• Name: Ganghwa Peace Observatory
• Where: Ganghwa Island, South Korea
• Founded: 2008
• Admission: 2,500 won (~$2.50)
• More Information: Ganghwa Island website

Directions

To reach the Ganghwa Peace Observatory, the first thing that has to be done is to drive to Ganghwa Island, which is about an hour drive northwest of Seoul.  Once on the island drive through the city of Ganghwa-eup on Highway 48.  After passing through the city look for the turn off on to Road 301.  This country road passes through a lush agricultural area to the observatory.

Before reaching the observatory there is a Republic of Korea (ROK) Marine Corps check point.  The Marines at the checkpoint may or may not question you and search your car.

Parking

From the checkpoint it is a short drive up a hill to the Ganghwa Peace Observatory.

In front of the observatory there is a very large parking lot.  We had no problem finding a place to park the day we visited.

Narrative

The Ganghwa Peace Observatory opened to the public in 2008.  Prior to the opening of this observatory all the land on the northern part of Ganghwa Island was highly controlled by the ROK military and civilian access was greatly restricted.  Having personally served on the DMZ before this timeframe, it definitely felt odd to be able to drive a civilian vehicle this close up to the DMZ with North Korea.  To make it feel even stranger was that I was driving up to the DMZ with my wife and kids in tow, which would have been unimaginable over a decade ago.  Times have definitely changed and the DMZ instead of being a place of constant tension is now a tourist attraction.

The below map gives a good indication of how North Korea is located just 2 kilometers away:

From the parking lot my family and I walked up a steep path that led to the observatory:

In front of the observatory is a park that has some South Korean military equipment on display:

As we walked into the observatory we noticed this plaque that recognized the contributions of the Australian navy during the Korean War:

The entrance leads to the 2nd floor of the observatory where there is an information booth, restaurant, and gift shop.  We bypassed all this and walked outside to where the coin operated binoculars were located:

From the balcony there are really good views across the Han River estuary right into North Korea:

I could also see the bunkers and fencing on the South Korean side of the estuary to defend against spies infiltrating into the ROK:

The first floor of the observatory is a actually a ROK military headquarters.  We could see the military equipment parked right below us:

The binoculars give a much better view into North Korea, but using my camera I was able to get some close up shots of North Korean buildings:

Here is a small village tucked in right next to the Han River estuary:

Here is a view of an even larger North Korean farming village:

This next picture shows the view looking further east down the Han River estuary:

Here is a couple of panorama photographs of the view from the observatory:

After spending some time taking in views from the balcony we then went back inside the museum and took the stairs to the third floor.  On the third floor there is a small museum:

One area of the museum had various notes displayed written by visitors hoping for peace and reunification of the Koreas:

The museum also had pictures and displays of the various provocations that North Korea has launched against the ROK over the years.  For example this display depicts the artillery barrage North Korea launched against Yeonpyeong Island back in 2010.  The surprise attack killed 4 South Koreans and wounded 19 others:

Here are some pictures from the attack that were displayed:

The museum also had some North Korean artifacts on display such as examples of their currency:

After checking out the museum we then walked back outside to access another viewing area:

This viewing area had a large peace statue there:

Here is the view from the statue looking back towards the observatory:

The viewpoint also had a large map that showed points of interest on the North Korean side of the river:

From this viewpoint we noticed these crab traps in the middle of the river.  I had no idea if the crab traps were North or South Korean owned:

Conclusion

The Ganghwa Peace Observatory is a fascinating place to visit for those looking for views of North Korea.  It also makes for a great part of a weekend itinerary to visit Ganghwa Island.  However, access can be difficult if relying on public transportation.  I recommend using a rental car if visiting the observatory.  For those that make the journey they will be rewarded with great views or the “Hermit Kingdom” that North Korea is often called.