Korean Demilitarized Zone

Buffer Zone Along The 1953 Korean War Armistice Line · Paju, Gyeonggi

The Demilitarized Zone is the buffer strip that has divided the Korean peninsula since the armistice of 27 July 1953 ended the fighting of the Korean War without a peace treaty. It runs about 250 kilometres from coast to coast and is roughly 4 kilometres wide, two kilometres on each side of the Military Demarcation Line, and behind it on the southern side lies a further Civilian Control Zone where access is restricted. Visitors cannot wander in: beyond Imjingak park in Paju, the western sites are seen only on organised tours that check passports and must be booked in advance. A standard tour takes in Imjingak and the Freedom Bridge, the Third Infiltration Tunnel dug from the north and found in 1978, Dora Observatory, which looks across into North Korea, and Dorasan station, built for a railway that does not run north. Tours to Panmunjom and the Joint Security Area, run under United Nations Command rules, have been suspended for long periods, so check. Further east, Cheorwon and Goseong have their own DMZ sites. The mood is serious, and security alerts can cancel tours overnight.

Imjingak Resort, Majeongri, Munsan-eup, Paju, Gyeonggi, 10800, South Korea

NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED. The typical pattern: Imjingak park is open daily from early morning to early evening, with the Peace Gondola running roughly 9 am to 6 pm and last boarding about an hour before closing. The Third Tunnel, Dora Observatory and Dorasan station are seen only on tours, which usually do not run on Mondays and some public holidays, with the last tour entries in the mid afternoon. Tours leave Seoul between about 6:30 and 8 am. The traps that ruin a day are forgetting the passport, a booking made too late for the military list, turning up on a Monday, and a security-related cancellation at short notice. Confirm current times before relying on them.

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