(Above) The Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea.
DAY 3, we will have our breakfast at our serviced apartment’s dining area and wait for our tourist guide from Holiday Planners, a local agency in Seoul that organized local tours such as the Demilitarized Zone Tour that we are taking today. You can visit their website for other tours - http://www.theseoul-hotels.com/tours . The tour’s duration is about 5 hours and cost per person is SGD$73 or 61000W. No meals are included and we will probably pack some light food just in case we feel hungry as we plan to eat after the tour. The good thing is they pick you at your hotel and drop you off at the Itaewon shopping district.
A trip to South Korea is not complete without taking a tour to the border between North and South Korea, which remains one of the last icon of the Cold War between democracy and communism. Technically, both South Korea and North Korea are still ‘at war’ as there was no peace treaty signed to conclude the war. The tour will cover visits to the Bridge of Freedom, Imjin-Gak Park, Unification Village, Dora Observatory, station and the third tunnel.
(Above) Bridge of Freedom
The first stop is at the Bridge of Freedom which is still the only bridge crossing over the Imjin River, and most importantly, the only bridge connecting between South and North Korea. According to popular accounts, about 13,000 war captives released from the North crossed this bridge to the South crying ‘Hurrah for freedom’, which gave the bridge its name, "the Bridge of Freedom".
(Above) Unification Village
The second stop is at Imjin-Gak park which is located about 50 kilometers northwest of Seoul. The place is visited by locals every Lunar New Year’s Day where a joint memorial service is conducted to comfort the 10 million South Koreans separated from their families in North Korea.
From the Imjin-Gak Observatory(above), we will be able to get a view of North Korea. and visit the displays of actual jet aircraft and tanks from the Korean War at the Exhibition Hall. Imjin-Gak is located near the western end of the front line. The Kyung-Ui Railroad which was built to connect South and North Korea when completed, passes through Imjin-Gak Park. Therefore, it remains a symbol of both despair of separation and hopes for reconciliation.
From here, we move onto the Dora Observatory which is a 304 sq feet, 500 capacity observation platform situated on top of Dorasan or Mount Dora. The observatory looks across the Demilitarized Zone. As it is the nearest point to North Korea from South Korea, from the observatory,we can view North Korea including the North Korean propaganda village situated in the DMZ, a remnant of the old prosperity of the North, and can see as far as the city of Kaesong.
Our next stop would be at Dorasan Train Station which is located in Paju, is the northernmost train station of South Korea that connects South Korea and North Korea.This is a station with no trains.Unlike most stations, which are full of excitement and liveliness, Dora mountain station stands as a quiet monument that is filled with bitter silence. Visitors instead of passengers, visit this station, to feel the bitterness of a country divided. A famous photo opportunity there is to pose in front of the sign at the boarding gate which proclaims ‘Next destination: Pyeongyang’. Many South Koreans and tourists visit the station in the hope that one day, the North and South will be unified and trains will pass through the Dorasan Station from Seoul to Pyeongyang.
The final stop is at the 3rd Infiltration Tunnel which is located about 44 km or, less than an hour's drive, from Seoul. The third tunnel was discovered in October 1978. Almost identical in structure to Tunnel 2, the 1.635 kilometer-long tunnel, 1.95 meters high and 2.1 meters wide, penetrates 435 meters south of the Military Demarcation Line at a point only 4 kilometers south of the Truce Village of Panmunjom. The tunnel is a engineering marvel as it runs through bedrock 73m below the ground level and was constructed right under the noses of the South Koreans before it was discovered. The tunnel can allow the swift movement of one North Korean army division per hour, plus their weapons, so as to allow for a surprise attack on Seoul. This tunnel is also only 2 km from a key outpost defending the Munsan corridor leading to Seoul. After the tour ends which is about 5 hours later, it will probably be mid afternoon and we will then be dropped off by the tour guide at the Itaewon shopping area.
Itaewon is often described as the most exotic place in Seoul representing fusion of different cultures with a distinctive atmosphere. Many locals have a saying that ‘ You may not know Seoul but you should know Itaewon’ which says something about it’s reputation as a shopping and eating enclave.
(Above) Shopping street in Itaewon
Itaewon’s shopping area covers a 1.4 km length, stretching from the U.S. 8th Army Base eastwards to Hannam-dong and contains over 1,000 different stores. Over 2,400 shops are crowded onto Itaewon Street, of which over 600 offer fashion apparel, over 150 sell leather goods, over 100 are shoe stores, and more than 50 are suit retailers. Itaewon has been named one of the most popular places to shop for bags, fur coats, leather goods, shoes and suits. Leather goods, including handbags and fashion apparel, are very popular with tourists and locals. The area has a vibrant night life scene with many bars and nightclubs.
(Above) Itaewon street vendor
Many street vendors selling shirts, jackets, and caps from local brands to counterfeit brands also stay up late to cater to nocturnal shoppers. Clothing shops offer everything from hip hop styled T-shirts and pants to casual wear to formal suits. There are also shops specializing in bags for sale from suitcases like Samsonite to leather bags. Shoes are also on offer from world class brands like Addidas and Nike to unique no brand shoes.Itaewon remains a popular shopping destination for foreigners due to two main reasons: the superb quality of goods, and the availability of larger sizes that are not easily found elsewhere in Korea. Around here, you will see signs displaying ‘Big Size’ or ‘Big & Tall’ through the shop windows.
Another reason why foreigners find Itaewon’s shopping to be convenient is that most of the shop owners speak fluent English. There are also shops connected to hotels, one of which is the Hamilton Shopping Center run by Hamilton Hotel. The Hamilton Shopping Center is a four-story building selling souvenirs and traditional goods. Another notable shop is ‘Nokgu’. Although Itaewon shops are known to sell imitations, Nokgu only sells original imported brands. Here, popular brands such as Prada, Ferregamo and Gucci can be purchased at 10% to 20% cheaper than at the boutiques of these brands.
Itaewon prides itself on the unique variety of restaurants it has to offer. Not only will you be able to sample exotic food from all over the world, you can also indulge in delicious traditional Korean cuisine. ‘Cheongsa Chorong’ is one of the most popular traditional Korean restaurants in the area, specializing in Hanjeongsik (traditional Korean meal served in a set) and royal cuisines. The restaurant is mainly visited by Japanese customers. It also presents a 30 minute traditional dance performance every night at 7pm. There are restaurants which we may want to take a look and try. One is ‘DaiDai’, a Japanese restaurant. DaiDai is very popular with Japanese patrons and local residents as the two storeys restaurant provides fresh sushi and it’s famed haemultang (spicy and hot seafood casserole). It is located at 683-132, Hannam-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, Korea and is opened from 10am to 10pm. Meals here start from 13000W to 60000W. There is also ‘Mogul’, a Pakistani restaurant. Mogul is famous for its lamb chops, which are beautifully seasoned with 12 different kinds of spices. Sounds delicious, doesn’t it? You can visit the following website to have an overview of all the restaurants in the Itaewon area :
http://www.nicerent.com/english/food/food/whattoeat.asp
To get to Itaewon from other locations in the city, you can take the Seoul City Tour Shuttle Bus which operates from 9am to 9pm along major routes through most tourist destinations or you can take the subway using Line 6 ( alighting at Itaewon , Hangangjin Stations)
After half a day of shopping and eating at Itaewon, we will take the subway from Itaewon Station on Line 6 and alight at the third stop – Yaksu and transfer to Line 3 which will take us to our destination at Anguk Station which is the fifth stop and from there we will take a walk back to our serviced apartment.
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