North Korea Trip Day 3: Panmunjom(DMZ), Sungkyunkwan, Pyongyang Metro

North Korea Trip From Dandong – Day 3

We woke up around 8 AM and had a simple breakfast at the hotel. It took us two hours to reach Kaesong city, the capital of the Koryo Dynasty and the first unified state in Korean history. After that, we crossed the 38th parallel to reach the Joint Security Area (JSA) at Panmunjom, located at the southernmost tip of North Korea.

1st Stop: Joint Security Area at Panmunjom(DMZ)

When we arrived at Panmunjom, things felt more tense due to the increased presence of military and police. However, the souvenir shop was still crowded with tourists. First, we visited the “Kim Il-sung’s Handwriting Monument,” followed by the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), where we could see South Korea on the other side, with many visitors there as well. We also visited the “Armistice Negotiation Hall” and the “Armistice Agreement Signing Hall.” The negotiation hall is divided into North Korean and U.S. sides. As the guide was explaining, there was a foreign tour group nearby listening to our explanation.

2nd Stop: Sungkyunkwan(Koryo Museum)

We visited Sungkyunkwan, the highest educational institution of the Koryo Dynasty, now the Koryo Museum. There were many North Koreans outside working on road construction. When we entered Sungkyunkwan, we unexpectedly saw a couple taking wedding photos. Initially we thought it was staged, but it turned out to be real. After the visit, we went to the Koryo Ginseng Shop to buy souvenirs. The prices here were much lower than other souvenir shops, and there were beautiful North Korean staff outside the store.

For lunch, we enjoyed traditional food served in bronze bowls (usually reserved for nobles in the Koryo Dynasty). It was a healthy and nutritious meal.

3rd Stop: Pyongyang Metro

After lunch, we took the Pyongyang Metro from Puhung Station to Yonggwang Station. The metro ticket price was $0.04 USD, which sounded very cheap, but the monthly salary of a North Korean civil servant was only $27.50 USD. The Pyongyang Metro is one of the deepest metro systems in the world, with depths ranging from 22 to 100 meters, and some sections reaching 150 meters deep, functioning not only as transportation but also as air-raid shelters.

While riding the escalator, which took a long time, we greeted the North Korean people opposite us with “Hello”(An-nyeong-ha-sim-ni-kka). Some responded, while others pretended not to see us. At the platform, we saw the train arriving, decorated with beautiful portraits of the leaders. The guide arranged for us to ride one stop, giving us a glimpse into the daily travel of North Korean citizens.

4th Stop: Arch of Triumph

We visited the Arch of Triumph in Pyongyang, which is about 10 meters taller than the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. This monument was built to commemorate Kim Il-sung’s victory over Japan after 20 years of resistance.

5th Stop: Friendship Tower

We then visited the Friendship Tower (Monument to the Korean War Volunteers/Pyongyang Martyrs’ Monument). After offering flowers and saluting, we briefly toured the interior, which mainly contained war-related illustrations and didn’t interest us much. As we were about to leave, the driver accidentally drove into a residential area, giving us an unexpected glimpse into the daily life of Pyongyang residents.

6th Stop: Tower of Juche Idea

The last stop was the Tower of Juche Idea, symbolizing North Korea’s self-reliance in politics and economy, free from foreign interference. However, the photos of the tower didn’t turn out well due to backlighting.

Today’s dinner was originally expected to be Korean BBQ, but the guide said that previous tour groups had eaten too much meat, so it was changed to bibimbap, but the meal was still delicious. After dinner, we returned to the hotel and quickly sent out postcards. The stamp for a postcard was $1.00 USD which is very expensive.

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