Kaesong

The centre of Kaesŏng

Kaesŏng (개성, 開城) is a city in North Korea, only 8 km from the DMZ with South Korea.

Understand

Kaesong is a small city but was a former capital of the Koryo Dynasty (918–1392 CE) for several hundred years and was the only major city that changed hands between North and South Korea as a result of the Korean War.

It is becoming increasingly well-known for the Kaesong Industrial Complex, a "special economic zone", developed by Hyundai Asan with North Korea. In 2012 this special administrative industrial region had over 50,000 North Korean workers typically working for about 20% of the South Korean minimum wage in dozens of brand-new factories operated by more than 100 different South Korean companies. In April 2013, North Korea recalled all 53,000 North Korean workers from the Kaesong Industrial complex, effectively suspending all of its operations. In response, South Korea has withdrawn all of its citizens working in Kaesong and there is presently no cross-border travel.

Get in

The only realistic way to visit Kaesong is through an organized tour group from Pyongyang by highway, about two and a half hours away. This is often combined with a North Korean DMZ visit.

There are connections to South Korea via road and rail through the DMZ, although these routes are heavily restricted and limited to business and diplomatic traffic only.

In the past there were group tour buses running daily from Seoul (taking about 2 hours), however this was stopped by North Korea some years ago and it is unclear when they will become available again.

(From South Korea, if you take one of the DMZ tours, you can see Kaesong from the 'Ganghwa Peace Observatory'. You can't use your camera, but using the coin-operated binoculars, you would have been able to see the occasional convoy of trucks bringing manufactured goods across the border into South Korea.)

Get around

Visitors to the city must be accompanied by a tour guide, and all your travel will be arranged for you.

See

Ancient temples and Koryo rulers' tombs.

• Nam Gate, or the South Gate, was built between 1391 and 1393, at the same time as the inner citadel of the walled city. The citadel used to have seven gates, but only Nam Gate is left. During the Korea War it was severely damaged and rebuilt in 1954.

• On a small hill near Nam Gate is the Students and Childrens’ Palace, a lesser version of the Children's Palace in Pyongyang.

• Sonjuk Bridge is a small stone bridge dating back to 1216. It is only 7 meters long and 2.5 meters wide. Lee Bang Won, the third king of the Chosun Dynasty and son of first king of that dynasty, had his opponent Jong Mong Ju executed on this bridge in 1392. It is named after a bamboo that grew up beside the bridge.

• On a hill 13 km outside Kaesong are the tombs of King Kongmin and his queen; from the tombs there is a nice view of the surrounding scenery.

• The old town is one of the best preserved in all of Korea, and traditional Korean-style buildings dating back from the Joseon period can still be seen. However, it is typically not included on most tours, though tour guides who trust their groups enough are known to take tourists for a short walk through the old town.

Buy

Souvenirs such as DPRK stamps, books written by Kim Il Sung and Kim Jung Il, and Korean handicrafts are available, and not expensive. Stores selling souvenirs accept US dollars, euros and Chinese yuan.

Ginseng is grown locally and is a particularly good buy both because of its quality and low price.

Eat

The Kaesong Folk Hotel also has a restaurant, as do the Foreigner Hotel at Puk Gate by the Pakyon Falls and the Janamsan Hotel near the Sonjuk Bridge.

Sleep

The majority of visitors are placed in the Kaesong Folk Hotel, which comprises traditional Korean houses and courtyards converted into a hotel. It has a small souvenir shop and restaurant. If you're not part of a tour group you might have the hotel all to yourself. It is located just a few blocks away from the Nam Gate.

Go next

• Panmunjom - surreal truce village on the border of North and South Korea