The DMZ
Awaiting the next departure to Pyongyang (and onward trans-Eurasian intercontinental travel), Dorasan train station stands as a symbol of hope for the eventual reunification of the two Koreas. The shiny new international customs facilities built in 2002 remain unused.
Added in 2015, the Dorasan Unification Platform has an optimistic exhibition on German reunification that's housed in an old train carriage, and a clock counting the hours since the Korean peninsula has been officially divided.
26.47 MILES
Like a phoenix, Seoul’s premier palace has risen several times from the ashes of destruction. Hordes of tourists have replaced the thousands of government…
26.86 MILES
The World Heritage–listed Changdeokgung is the most beautiful of Seoul's five main palaces. You must join a one-hour guided tour to look around. English…
29.51 MILES
Amid the celebrity-owned apartments on the leafy southern slope of Namsan is Korea's premier art gallery. Beautifully designed and laid-out, it balances…
27.18 MILES
One of Seoul's five grand palaces built during the Joseon dynasty, Deoksugung (meaning Palace of Virtuous Longevity) is the only one you can visit in the…
29.77 MILES
This vast and imposing concrete slab of a museum takes visitors on a fascinating journey through Korea's past from prehistory all the way to the Korean…
21.6 MILES
Granite-peak-studded Bukhansan National Park's sweeping mountaintop vistas, maple leaves, rushing streams and remote temples draw over 5 million hikers…
28.92 MILES
This huge museum documents the history of the Korean War (1950–53) using multimedia exhibits and black-and-white documentary footage, along with artefacts…
Dongdaemun Design Plaza & Park
28.19 MILES
Designed by the late Zaha Hadid, this neofuturistic cultural complex was commissioned to replace the Dongdaemun Stadium, built during Japanese rule in the…
0.21 MILES
This mildly diverting park has a couple of modern Korean tanks, some deer, an outdoor photo display and a few saplings called, groovily, the Paul…
0.77 MILES
Peer through binoculars for a voyeuristic glimpse into the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK; North Korea). On a clear day you can make out…
1.38 MILES
Since 1974, four tunnels have been found running under the DMZ, dug by the North Koreans so that their army could launch a surprise attack. Walking along…
1.75 MILES
This park is dedicated to the 10 million South Koreans separated from their families when the peninsula was divided postwar. Also here is the Freedom…
2.6 MILES
Unquestionably the highlight of any trip to the DMZ is the Joint Security Area (JSA) at Panmunjeom. An improbable tourist destination, it's here where the…
7.46 MILES
There's nothing so-so about this modernist, wood-panelled gallery building backing on to the forested hillside. The engaging exhibitions mostly feature…
7. Blume Museum of Contemporary Art
7.58 MILES
This contemporary gallery exhibits a mix of emerging and established artists across all mediums. It's inside a postmodern building designed by Korean…
7.58 MILES
In the centre of the village, this is one of Heyri's larger-scale galleries with three floors showcasing contemporary art. Outside stands the blue…