Security, Unification and DMZ Tour in the East Coast

Located in the northernmost part of Korea, the Unification Observatory opened in 1984 and began construction in 1983 as the fastest observation deck to look at North Korean land to soothe the sadness and the pain of longing and strengthen the will for unification. It is a natural tourist destination visited by more than 600,000 domestic and foreign tourists annually, and is an experience center for unification and security education that directly sees and feels the reality of division. From the observation deck, the scenic view of the blue East Sea and the white sand beaches, such as Geumgangsan Mountain 12,000 Peak, Haegeumgang called Geumgangsan Mountain on the Sea, Gamho River with legends of woodcutters and fairies, and Songdo wrapped in white foam, feel like looking at a wave of watercolors. This is the site of division that soothes the sadness and sorrow of displaced people who cannot even leave their hometown a distance away while looking at North Korean land.

The DMZ Museum was opened in 2009 on the northernmost civilian control line on the east coast overlooking Geumgan Mountain. Under the theme of the DMZ, a legacy of the Cold War, the Korean War, the historical significance of the military demarcation line and DMZ caused by the Armistice Agreement, the military conflict that has continued since then, and the unique ecological environment that has not been touched by civilians have been reconstructed into exhibits and videos and captured in the DMZ Museum. The purpose of this place is to become a world attraction to pray for human peace, focusing on research, collection, preservation, exhibition, education, and research of data so that it can become a place of harmony to restore cultural homogeneity and prepare for unification between the two Koreas.

It was built by German H. Weber in 1938 and was used by Kim Il-seong as a summer resort with his wife Kim Jeong-sook, son Kim Jeong-il, and daughter Kim Kyung-hee from 1948 to 1950, and is said to have been used by Communist Party officials as well. There are still photos taken in 1948 at the entrance of the site by then-six-year-old Kim Jeong-il. It is a two-story stone building with one basement level and was demolished and reconstructed in 1964 to be used as a recreational facility for South Korean soldiers, before being repaired in 1995 to serve as an exhibition hall related to the Korean War and North Korea. It is used as a historical and security tourist destination