Gaeseong Unveils Secret Beauty
By Ryu Jin
Korea Times Correspondent
GAESEONG, North Korea ― Gaeseong, the ancient capital of Goryeo Kingdom (918-1392), finally unveiled its long hidden beauty to South Koreans about 60 years after the separation of the Korean Peninsula.
Ten large-sized tour buses carrying a total of 332 people left Gwanghwamun and Jamsil in Seoul at 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday to cross the heavily fortified border between the two Koreas for a one-day trip to the historic city in the North.
Officially launched on Wednesday, the overland tour to Gaeseong, a 90-minute drive from Seoul, is the second cross-border tourism project by Hyundai Asan, a Hyundai Group unit operating various inter-Korean economic projects including the Mt. Geumgang tour project.
For ordinary tourists it is a chance to get an unusual glimpse of the reclusive North; for displaced people, mostly in their declining years, it is a rare opportunity to return to their hometown.
``It took 57 years for me to return to my birthplace since the Korean War (1950-53),’’ Kim Yun-gyeong, 87, the oldest of the 332 tourists, said as his bus slowly crossed the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). ``A thousand emotions crowd my mind.’’
Located some 60 km north of Seoul and 160 km south of Pyongyang, the border city is known for an inter-Korean industrial complex, where dozens of South Korean firms hire some 15,000 North Koreans to manufacture clothes, kitchenware and other light industrial goods.
Streets and roads of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex were decorated with placards reading ``Start, Gaeseong Tour!’’ to celebrate the launch of the tour project to the heart of the border city.
Historic Sites
Gaeseong tours began with a visit to Bagyeon Pokpo, a 37-meter-high scenic waterfall which is often dubbed one of the Songdo-samjeol, or the three things (figures) famous for fidelity in the Goryeo Dynasty, along with Hwang Jin-i and Seo Gyeong-deok.
Situated about 27 km outside of the ancient capital is Bagyeon Pokpo one of the three spectacular waterfalls on the peninsula along with Guryong Pokpo at Mt. Geumgang in the North and Daeseung Pokpo at Mt. Seorak in the South.
Led by North Korean guides, the visitors moved in groups to Gwaneum-sa Temple through the path along the ridge. Gwaneum-sa is a historic temple first built in 970 and refurbished in the 17th century, though only the main building is left now.
``I was deeply moved, though I could not go to my birthplace,’’ said Kim Yeong-su, 75, who was born in Seoheung, Hwanghae Province, near Gaeseong. ``It is only an hour’s drive from here.’’
Lunch is served with sipsamcheop-bansanggi, a set of 13 side dishes, in brassware at a traditional restaurant downtown. Gaeseong, which served as the ancient capital for about 500 years, is also famous for its advanced food culture.
The schedule in the afternoon included visits to Sungyang Seowon, a lecture hall where Goryeo’s last loyalist Jeong Mong-ju once lived, and Seonjuk-gyo bridge where the scholar was killed at the hands of the founders of a new dynasty, Joseon.
Goryeo Museum, also in the downtown area, boasts of some 1,000 historic and cultural assets including scores of the famous Goryeo Cheongja, or celadon porcelain, and metal weapons and armor.
One Step Closer
One of other charms of the tour program is that visitors can get a glimpse of the ordinary lives of North Koreans in the city since all the tour sites in the afternoon are situated in the downtown area.
Photo-taking is strictly forbidden on the streets of the city, as schools and other dark- and gloomy-colored structures are adorned with propaganda murals and slogans such as ``With Our Great Leader, We Can Survive!’’ inscribed in red.
Gaeseong citizens stared out of curiosity at the long array of tour buses with a Hyundai Motor emblem in front and the placard ``Gaeseong Tour’’ on the side, as tourists looked out the windows. Some residents waved their hands to greet the guests from the South.
``I did not get to see ordinary North Korean people very much when I visited Mt. Geumgang last year,’’ said an elderly tourist, who asked not to be named. ``It was good to see the ordinary citizens right under our nosse. I thought of a lot of things.’’
Hyundai Asan CEO Yoon Man-joon, who made the trip on the opening day, said that his company expects more than 100,000 tourists to visit Gaeseong annually from next year.
``We plan to diversify tour courses in Gaeseong next year to introduce the beauty of other attractions such as Gongmin-wangneung (the royal tomb of King Gongmin),’’ he said. ``A two-day tour could also be considered in accordance with the demand.’’
Some 300 people can visit Gaeseong everyday except Mondays. Foreigners as well as South Korean tourists can enjoy the trip for 180,000 won ($195) per person with all transportation, lunch and traveler’s insurance included.