By Tong Kim
Last week I had the rare opportunity to join a group of prominent citizens and celebrities from South Korea to visit Geumgangsan (Mt. Diamond) known to be the most beautiful mountain in Korea. Although I visited Pyongyang 17 times, I had never been to Geumgangsan before.
It was a two-night-three day preview tour arranged by Hyundai Asan to introduce an additional prime attraction _ Inner Geumgang _ to its Geumgangsan package. Inner Geumgang is located about 44 kilometers further north of Outer Geumgang, which has been open to South Korean visitors since 1998.
We left Seoul by bus 9:20 in the clear morning of May 27 to arrive before noon at the last rest stop on the south side of DMZ. After a lunch we went through exit procedures at the Goseung Observatory _ where I was told no reentry visa was needed. On the other side of the building there were different buses driven by North Korean drivers waiting for us.
Our bus rolled across the DMZ, a no man’s land where wild life thrives as if in a preserved environmental zone. The ride was smooth on the paved road passing through a no picture-taking zone. At the North Korean entrance we showed our temporary passports issued by Hyundai Asan, put our baggage through the machine and walked through the metal detector.
At about 4 in the afternoon, we were at the Onjeongni Plaza, a complete tourist complex with a multi-purpose theater, duty free shopping center, restaurants, a deluxe hotel and a huge parking lot. There is a second hotel, which we checked into, only five minutes away, and a huge hot spring bathhouse partitioned off for men and women.
At the dinner that evening there was a celebration of the launching of the expanded tourist program. I listened to the remarks by representatives from both sides, who all made politically correct statements. They welcomed the opening of Inner Geumgang, supported engagement and cooperation, and expressed their aspirations for ultimate unification.
At 5:30 AM to my disappointment I woke up to cloudy weather. It threatened to rain. I thought, ``Oh no, I am not going to be able to enjoy the scenery of Geumgangsan.’’ The Korean ancestors used to say, ``It is my wish to see Geumgangsan before I die.’’
At the breakfast buffet, the food was very healthy with a variety of locally grown vegetables prepared in the traditional way. No fats, no chemicals, no artificial colors. The visitors all said they liked the food, which was refreshingly different from what they normally eat in the South.
Our bus started rolling early in the morning in light rain through the rugged ravines of Outer Geumgang, climbing up along the windy meandering but paved road through thick fog under the dark overcast sky. Our North Korean tourist guide, a talented woman, informed or reminded us of the history, geology, climate, Buddhist influence, poetry, and legends related to the mountain. But I was not confident when she said the weather in the mountain is so variable, it may clear up soon.
She was right. As we were reaching the bottom of the northern side of Outer Geumgang, the sun was peaking out, revealing blue patches. Soon we had a bright sunny day with the right temperature and no humidity as in the early fall weather. But the dirt road was rough and the bus was moved slowly through some villages and a rural town.
Through the bus window, I saw rice paddies ready for transplanting, vegetables sprouting or growing in the fields. I saw simple resident homes, schools, a post office, and other modest public buildings. I saw people working on the field, and livestock grazing on the slopes. I saw a North Korea in peace. Everything looked so peaceful. It did not look like a country that threatens going to war.
After riding two hours, we finally arrived at the threshold to Inner Geumgang. There we saw an old temple, Pyohunsa, built almost 1,400 years ago, that survived intact from the Korean War but whose treasures were looted by the Japanese during colonial rule. We walked in twos and threes heading towards the top of Inner Geumgang, along a narrow path, crossing wire bridges looking over the water streams rushing down between rocks that varied in size and shape.
The picturesque views of Inner Geumgang were absolutely magnificent. The gigantic granite formations, pillars, peaks, cliffs, all blending with the thick green woods, alongside the water falls, the streams and the ponds were just awesome. Our guide said no poet ever succeeded in describing the amazing beauty of this natural wonder. I humbly submit that you’ve got to see it yourself to appreciate its beauty. Seeing is believing.
Back at the Onjeongni complex, we all went to the hot spring bathhouse. The spring water that many believe is good for health and potency had a natural temperature of 40 degrees. There were also other types of baths available _ steam, dry heat and Korean style called ``hanjeung.’’ I learned that hot spring baths are a must that no tourist wants to skip.
On the third day, we were escorted to Sea Geumgang -_ which is one of the three prime attractions along with Outer Geumgang and Inner Geumgang. It has striking brilliance of brownish rocks. We also visited the ``three day lagoon’’ _ meaning you need three days to fully appreciate it _ in the vicinity of Sea Geumgang. After that we headed back to the South.
Both on the way there and back I saw North Korean soldiers on guard duty whenever we passed gates to their units. I saw soldiers’ barracks under the slopes. Some of the KPA sentinels were blocking the roads that apparently lead to military installations. I saw a couple of tunnels with mud and stone brims standing at their fronts. Maybe they were housing grounds to sea missiles since their openings were facing towards the East Sea with no connecting road to the front.
I also saw multiple rocket launchers lined up on the top of a hill facing the east, as well as tanks in a shelter, ammunition dumps and other indications of the menacing forward deployment. On the south side of the DMZ, the concrete foxholes looked like storm water drainages. We traveled beside the rail tracks that were used in the recent test run of the train on the east cost, in parallel with the train on the west coast.
I do not question that the tourism of Inner Geumgang was made possible by the gutsy, bold decision on the part of the North Korean leader, whose motive must have been a complicated combination of military, economic and political considerations. Hyundai CEO Yoon Man-jun said, ``The North made a big decision to show its master bedroom, which is shown only to close, trustful friends.’’
After crossing back to the south, I started seeing familiar junky concrete structures and disorderly commercial signs, obstructing the views of the mountains and the fields. The South is 20 to 40 times better off economically than the North. But the underdevelopment in the North seems to have better preserved the traditional Korean landscape.
Along with the Kaesong Industrial Complex, the Geumgang tourist project no doubt has positive military implications. I want to believe that the security issues, including North Korean nuclear weapons, will be resolved soon to the benefit of all concerned. What’s your take?
Tong Kim is former senior interpreter at the U.S. State Department and now a research professor at Korea University and a visiting scholar at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).