10 tourist attractions on the ‘Goseong Pyeonghwa (peace) Nurigil Road’, 

which is 60km along the coastline

Goseong Pyeonghwa Nurigil is the coastal walkway which is 60km long from the northernmost part of the East Sea.

Summer is the best among the four seasons since you can enjoy a walking tour with a traveling companion of deep blue ocean. Imagine a wide expanse of sea greets your eyes when you pause and raise your head for taking a break. Wind from the sea which cools down your back and the song of the waves that hurry your steps will elate you to continue your journey.

▲Scenery of Pyeonghwa Nurigil near Ayajin Beach

People can’t miss this beautiful road. Since so many people visit Goseong Pyeonghwa Nurigil, the road has three or four nicknames in accordance with the routes or the way of travelling. Goseong Pyeonghwa Nurigil is not only one of the fifty Haeparang Trail courses which start from Goseong and end at Busan, but also a part of the Happy Routes for bike riding which is 720km long from the northernmost part of the East Sea. The road from the Unification Observatory to Yongchon Bridge is also called ‘GwanDongByulGok Palbakrigil’. Walking along these roads will lead you to the tourist attractions of Goseong.

However, Pyeonghwa Nurigil is distinguished from other roads since it has an independent theme about peace and unification, because you can think about peace and unification seriously facing the northern land in the border region. You can find out new things if you view things from a different angle even though you walk the same road that others have already walked. I have chosen 10 things that will enrich your walking tour when you walk along Goseong Pyeonghwa Nurigil.

Keeping unification in mind facing the northern land

<1> Goseong Unification Observatory

▲Northern land seen from the Goseong Unification Observatory

Geumgangsan looming through the fog was standing in silence. If the weather is fine, you can see Haegeumgang and Geumgangsan clearly. Visiting the observatory on a sunny day is highly recommended.

Goseong Unification Observatory located in the north side of civilian access control line is the northernmost observatory in South Korea. The scenery of Haegeumgang and Geumgangsan will give inexpressible impression to the visitors. They are just a stone’s throw away, but the tourists cannot visit there on foot. I hope we can walk along the coastal walkway upwards over Geumgangsan someday.

▲The whole view of Unification Observatory

The gentle slope will lead you to the Unification Observatory. You can see stone statues and memorials that pray unification here and there.

In order to enter the Unification Observatory, you need to pass Jejin Checkpoint and register for admission. Please note that you need to drop by the Inter-Korean Transit Office on the right and get to the observatory by car. Taxis are available but it will cost 40,000 ~ 50,000 Korean won for the round trip. Parking fee for a car is 4,000 Korean won. Adults should pay 3,000 Korean won for an admission fee, and the youth should pay 1,500 Korean won.

<2> DMZ Museum

▲DMZ Museum

DMZ Museum shows the way to peace. The museum is an ideal place for the education about peace for children.

DMZ Museum, constructed with the hoping of peace for both South and North Korea, is not only an exhibition hall where the various information about history, military, culture, ecology of DMZ is gathered, but also a place for the education about peace and ecology. Barbed-wire fence, tanks, and demolished relics for psychological warfare are the heritage of cold war and valuable monuments which will be the foundation of reconciliation at the same time. However, this museum is incomplete one since the information about DMZ of North Korea should be filled. Therefore, DMZ museum is still being completed.

DMZ museum is located on the way to the Unification Observatory via Jejin Checkpoint. You need to get there by car. Adults should pay 2,000 Korean won for an admission fee, youth and soldiers should pay 1,400 Korean won, and the children should pay 1,000 Korean won. Closed on Mondays.

Going around Hwajinpoho following the historic sites

<3> Hwajinpoho Beach

▲Hwajinpoho Beach

Dark blue beach of Hwajinpoho catches tourists’ eyes.

Hwajinpoho Beach is truly one of the most scenic area in Pyeonghwa Nurigil. Walking along the sculptures on a hill, you will arrive at Hwajinpoho Beach. Beautiful streamlined Hwajinpoho Lake and thin beach that divides the dark blue sea remind me of an exotic vacation spot.

Many people visit Hwajinpoho Beach regardless of the seasons since the water is shallow and pure. Hwajinpoho Beach, stagnated towards inland, is the largest lagoon in South Korea and important passage of the ecosystem where the seawater and fresh water are mixed. Surrounded by pine trees like a folding screen, Hwajinpoho Beach got its name because Rosa rugosa come out splendidly in summer.

<4> Castle of Hwajinpo (Kim Ilseong Villa), Lee Seungman Villa, Lee Gibung Villa

▲Castle of Hwajinpo(top), Lee Gibung Villa (left), and Lee Seungman Villa(right)

It wasn’t a coincidence that these villas were located in this wonderful place. Castle of Hwajinpo where Kim Ilseong had stayed for 2 years, Lee Seungman Villa, and Lee Gibung Villa are located with Hwajinpo as its center. In each villa, the stories about the people who had stayed there and their materials are displayed. The beautiful scenery of Hwajinpo Beach comes in at a glance through the windows at any of the three villas.

You can visit all three villas, Hwajinpo Ecological Museum, and Hwajinpo History & Security Museum with one admission ticket. Adults should pay 3,000 Korean won for an admission fee, youth and children should pay 2,300 Korean won.

Taste and charm of Goseong

<5> Goseong Pollack

▲Braised Fish boiled with Pollack, Ray, Sailfin Sandfish

Restaurants where we can taste fresh fish dishes like Pollack Stew and Braised Fish are concentrated in Geojinhang.

Tourists are cheered by a hearty meal. The Pollack caught in Gangwondo Goseong and also East sea coast is called ‘Jibangtae’. Jibangtae, even with small size, taste salty and good by absorbing the sauce. White Pollack Stew tastes fresh, clean and contains lots of calcium and protein. It is considered as one of the best 8 local foods of Goseong. Braised Fish boiled with savory, oily, and clean flavored Pollack meat and other fresh fishes are also mouth-watering side dishes.

Pollack Festival in Goseong is held in Geojinhang to bring a hope to fishermen and healthy food to the public with wishes for a big catch of Pollack and safe work in every October. If you visit Geojinhang at the end of October, you can taste Goseong Pollack which has been captured 62% of catch across the country in various dishes and experience the Pollack auction. Braised Fish costs 25,000 Korean won (for 2~3 people), and Pollack Stew costs 10,000 Korean won (for 1 person).

<6> Goseong Buckwheat Noodles

▲Goseong Buckwheat Noodles

There is a reason for common Buckwheat Noodles is considered as one of the best 8 local foods of Goseong. You will know why if you take a bite of Buckwheat Noodles with a savory slice of boiled meat.

When you eat Goseong Buckwheat Noodles you have to pour cold Radish Water Kimchi full of appetizing big sliced radishes, which tastes clean. You can mix the spicy sauce served separately as much as you like. Seasoned raw Pollack which was served as a side dish tasted great and made me ask for a refill several times. If you want to taste delicate and rich flavor, I would recommend eating Buckwheat Noodles with slices of boiled meat. Buckwheat Noodles costs 7,000 Korean won and the slices of boiled meat costs 15,000 Korean won. 

Nature friendly and cozy rest area

<7> Songjiho

▲Songjiho observatory tower

You can take a look at flaps of the wings of migratory birds through a telescope above the waters of Songjiho.

Just like its name, Songjiho is a natural lake 6km round, 5m deep, and surrounded by a dense wood of pine trees. It is also a wintering site for migratory birds that are flying towards warmer southern countries following the coastline of the Korean Peninsula. Bountiful food and the water that does not freeze well because of its components mixed with seawater make Songjiho one of the best winter shelter for migratory birds. In cold days, you can see birds like mallards, wild geese, and rare swans flying in to the lake.

The four-floored observatory tower near Songjiho lets you watch the winter migratory birds dancing in groups in one sight. On the fourth floor of the observatory tower, they sell warm tea that will restore energy to your tired body. Adults should pay 1,000 Korean won for an admission fee, and the youth should pay 800 Korean won.

<8> Wanggok Village in Goseong

▲Wanggok Village in Goseong

People of Wanggok Village, located deep in the mountains, live with the nature following the old way of life.

Wanggok Village looks just as it did in the old days as if time stood still. It is the only place that has preserved 21 traditional houses that were built in around the 19th century. The village is surrounded by Songjiho and five peaks, which forms a basin like a valley that pulled up the drawbridge. Thanks to its topographical feature, the village has been preserved without the damage of forest fire for several hundred years. Especially Wanggok Village did not get any bombardment during the Korean War, that makes us admire the wisdom of ancestors.

Residents of Wanggok Village are still cultivating sites, and provide lodging experience for the visitors. Visitors should pay around 50,000 ~ 100,000 Korean won to rent a house. After spending a night at a traditional house, you will fully understand the reason why ancestors did not force small animals, plants, and even insects to leave and got along with them. Don’t forget to visit the filming site of the movie ‘DongJu; The Portrait of A Poet’ which was released this year.

Wish for unification while greeting the sunrise

<9> Cheonhakjeong Pavilion

▲Cheonhakjeong Pavilion

Cheonhakjeong Pavilion near Gyoam-ri is one of the best 8 local tourist attractions of Goseong where you will be fascinated by the beautiful scenery of the East Sea.

Only deep blue sea and sky greet your eyes at Cheonhakjeong Pavilion. Cheonhakjeong Pavilion with old pine trees is a single-story pavilion and placed on the steep, rocky coastal cliffs along the deep blue East Sea. Even though the best spot for watching the sunrise in South Korea is Uisangdae Pavilion in Naksansa Temple, viewing the quiet sunrise of Cheonhakjeong Pavilion with a dense pine forest is also impressive. Enjoying the calm sunrise on the steep, rocky coastal cliffs with dense forest of pine trees will be a special memory.

Cheonhakjeong Pavilion is also the place to relax for local residents and walking tourists. I would recommend taking a break here before you start your final journey.

<10> Cheongganjeong Pavilion 

▲Cheongganjeong Pavilion

Cheongganjeong Pavilion is one of the best spots for watching the sunrise. If you walk up the stairs to the second floor, refreshing wind will blow from the sea.

If you see Cheongganjeong Pavilion, you need to prepare to round off 60km long Pyeonghwa Nurigil tour. Walking along the woodland path and coastal walkway, you will reach Cheongganjeong Pavilion where cool wind blows strongly.

Cheongganjeong Pavilion is well known as one of the best spots for watching the sunrise, and is not only one of the eight view points of Gwandong but also one of the eight view points of Seorak sunrise. The scenery during sunrise and sunset offers a remarkable view of the waves coming in like clouds and going like fog.

▲Ayajin Beach

Goseong lies vertically from North Korea to South Korea. Therefore, Goseong Pyeonghwa Nurigil is the longest one from North to South among 10 Pyeonghwa Nurigil roads.

Walking tourists feel the sorrow of parting with the Pyeonghwa Nurigil as they get closer to the final destination. They just wish they can walk along the mountains, fields, and sea of North Korea while staring east where the sun rise at Cheongganjeong Pavilion, the final destination. I think my wishes had been piled up before I knew it while I was walking along the Pyeonghwa Nurigil step by step.

Since Goseong Pyeonghwa Nurigil is close to North Korea, there are barbed-wire fences in most beaches. The fences made me pine for unapproachable beaches. One day, when Korea becomes unified I hope that divided Goseong will be reunited and Pyeonghwa Nurigil will be extended unimpededly from Cheongganjeong Pavilion to Geumgangsan.