Ganghwa Peace Observatory in Inch'on

You can see the north korean border. Went there just because we had nothing to do. Could have more interactive activities for the children but you can say you saw the border

It’s no DMZ experience but it’s something you can do on a whim if you want to take a look at the country up north. There are coin operated binoculars you can use. Not sure if there are buses that take you there. Best thing would be to drive and take advantage of the rest of the island.

We had a fascinating visit. Well worth the journey.

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A fascinating glimpse into North Korea

Bit of a steep walk up to the observatory but well worth it. You are able to see things a bit closer here than you can at the observatory at the official DMZ tour. Didnt see any other foreign tourists here but I was able to see a North Korean riding a bike using the supplied telescope for 500 won

Scary

Nice and interesting spot definitely off the beaten path. We had to go through military security checkpoints to get there, so it definitely is an authentic NK viewing experience! Make sure you bring ￦1,000 bills/￦500 coins for the binoculars on the observation decks. A few things have English translations, but not everything. For non-Korean speakers, this will still be an interesting place, but youll need to rely pretty heavily on translation apps.

This is the Northern area of the Civilian Restricted Zone in Yangsamyeon. You can see the North Korean Village on the other side of the river.We went on a foggy day so we couldn’t see as much as we wanted but if we you pay close attention you will get to see people walking around.There is a small museum inside but almos everything is in Korean!

If you really want to go to North Korea but cannot then this Peace Observatory is the next best thing and about as close as you can get to the Hermit Kingdom. Some notes from my visit:1Doesnt matter how you get here, all must take the special tour buses from the parking lot below to the observatory at the top of the hill.2The entire facility is wheelchair friendly with elevators and ramps everywhere.3Obviously, the clearer the weather the better the views. That said, unless you have a foggy day, there should be no problems looking into the village on the other side and seeing people at work, vehicles moving, and other detritus of daily life.4There are free mounted telescopes outside for use.5Take note of the diorama showing the historic meeting between Trump and Kim Jung Un... hilarious in my opinion.6The grand piano made of wire from the actual fence between the two states was interesting, although dont expect the piano to be in tune or capable of playing anything.7Nice video presentation in Korean and English... and possibly other languages.8The wall with the last wishes and thoughts of a divided people was quite poignant and touching.9The ability to send an electronic message to North Korea is a nice touch but I doubt it is actually sent anywhere... possibly stored in the Cloud waiting for reunification day.10Food and drink available.If this was as close as I could get to North Korea, I would probably rate this 5 stars. But the day after I visited this location I was on my way to Beijing and then into one of the most reclusive geographic areas in the world where I spent the next week traveling all around North Korea, from the Yalu River border to Panmunjon, from small villages in the countryside to the great capital city of Pyongyang. And for that reason alone, this rates 4 stars.

Nice place. Looking across the river into North Korea.

Very interesting place. At first I was worried that it would feel too much like a zoo as we observed North Koreans going about their daily lives, but it really does cement the reality that so close to our prosperity this other world certainly exists. Not only does it exist, but for many people in the area they still have family there and this may be the closest they can physically be to them. Very sobering and worth a visit. FITNESS LEVEL REQUIRED: to get to the observatory from the parking lot you have to walk a ways up a steep hill.

A must see destination.

A good place to visit if you want to examine the border between the two countries. The exhibition is only in Korean though, so limited for English visitors. Youll need appropriate footwear as the observatory is up steep hill. Can use binoculars to look into the north - feels a bit crass to see, watching the suffering from afar, but for the Koreans it felt like they were able to reconnect with lost family members.Allow an hour for this visit.

Beautiful place. You can see North Korea from here. They both play loud music for some peculiar reason. The river looks beautiful. And you have a museum in the building. There are 2 painted tanks also here. A symbol of peace too. To get here you have to make it thru a check post. The guards are strict. The landscape is beautiful and when it snows its amazing. This place is situated on an island. I really liked the place.

You can see some pictures of North Korea. This is the closest border to North Korea.

Incredible...definitely visit the DMZ

Great place to get some sights of North Korea.

You can see North Korea if weather is clear.

This was one of the stops on a tour I participated in. I appreciated that this Observatory had many viewing points. Was also grateful for the coin dispenser. You need 500 Won coins in order to use the telescopes. The dispenser exchanges your 1000 Won notes for 500 Won coins.

A very interesting place. It kind of is odd to just peer over into North Korea. The area has binoculars (500 won to viewand you can see people across doing their daily things. Youll also notice a lot of active military sentries near. There is also a checkpoint on the way to the area.The observation building is very nice, with lots of historical notes and facts (mostly in Korean with the titles being in English for a lot of displays. There is a small shop and some restaurants inside.The building itself is an actual military building so it is not all accessible.The way to the building is also fairly steep so keep that in mind.Parking is free entry is 2500 won.Worth going to for sure.

Bit cloudy which was a shame but seeing North Korea was cool. I even saw people on the other side through the binoculars.

Very nice food

Wonderfully well done. It is a place of hope, but also a place of sadness and loneliness. The North is so close, yet so far away...

Nice place to see north corea across the river. Need to use binoculars to see the soldiers and people

Only writing this review because other reviewers incorrectly state that exhibition is only in Korean. If you scan the QR codes present on most displays, you are brought to a page that has complete translations in English and other languages.

Its nice if the weather is nice

Mostly Korean explanation and display, one video and one plague in English.

Nothing says peace like a machine gun pointed over the river at your rival to the north. I thought was well done, but can be done in about an hour. The telescopes can let you see the north korean villages and people and soldiers in the area. That was cool. We came here as a backup because the DMZ tour was canceled but it was worthwhile. Not sure how kosher posting the pic of the gum is but I will anyway. Its not like the north koreans cant see with their own binoculars right?

Good place to observe the North Korean over the boarder.

We can see north korea.

South Korea and North KoreaI can confirm the daily life of North Korean people through a telescopePaju and another feeling of North KoreaPeace comes to be unified

Good place to see North Korea in very close distance. If you have private telescope, you dont need to pay for using public telescope. Its cost is 500 won. It is sad story to Korean that we cant reach to such a close location which is just far from 2.3km.

Very beautiful and amazing

Nice place.

You can see North Korean people living by using a telescope from here. This observatory is only 2.3km far from North Korea. Observatory has exhibition hall and little park to walk around.

Good place to go and get to know he history

Very exciting peace place

Too far, you cant see a thing unless you pay for using the telescope

I saw North Korea!

It was an amazing experience. Saw North Korean villages. We prayed and wished for the unification of both the countries.

North Korean territory looks peaceful. Songaksan from Kaesung and Bukhansan from Seoul will catch your eyes at the same time.

Interesting and nice views. Information is only in korean.

Its a nice place to visit. But its advisable to have some Korean speaking friends with you. Its said that at some points the distance to north Korea is about 2.5 kms.

Clean and tidy with convenience

Great place for famies and to spend an hour learning about Korea

경치도 괜찮고 가이드 서비스도 괜찮지만 전시물이 약간 미흡한 면이 있습니다.Nice view and it is the only place you can see the most peaceful border between N.K. and S.K which is Han river, and furthermore, you will be able to see a portion of north korea as well. However, there is no english display or guide available. I recommend you to go to DMZ directly unless you came to Ganghwa island and are near the area.

Outstanding. In order to understand the difficulties of the two Koreas a Must ...

Using a powerful camera you can see people walking around in the village in North Korea but some people say that is a fake place with a few posing aroundIn the gift shop they have North Korean items like candy and wine we bought some North Korean wine in a very old bottle...well keep it for an special occasion

Nice view @ north Korea.There is no English explanation at the pictures. Only able to look at pictures.Entry to this site is 2500won.