Visitors flock to Gyeonggi observatories for rare views into secretive North Korea
Published: 27 Aug. 2025, 05:00
![Visitors take in a view of North Korea from the Aegibong Peace Ecological Park in Gimpo, Gyeonggi, on Aug. 22. [JOONGANG ILBO]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/08/27/1195ed8f-3745-48f7-ac53-8cea51146f39.jpg)
Visitors take in a view of North Korea from the Aegibong Peace Ecological Park in Gimpo, Gyeonggi, on Aug. 22. [JOONGANG ILBO]
GIMPO and PAJU, Gyeonggi — On a clear summer afternoon at a hilltop park near the inter-Korean border, a boy presses his face to a telescope and sees something few South Koreans ever do with their own eyes: A North Korean villager chatting with a neighbor in Kaepung, South Hwanghae Province.
Moments like these are turning spots like the Aegibong Peace Ecological Park in Gimpo and Odusan Unification Observatory in Paju, Gyeonggi, into weekend destinations — where the front line is no longer just a symbol of division but also a place to sip coffee, peer across the river and experience an eerie, fleeting sense of connection.
“Wow. I really can see people walking,” Lee Do‑hun said at the Aegibong Peace Ecological Park on Friday.
Lee visited the Aegibong Peace Ecological Park’s observatory with his family. He looked past the confluence of the Han River and Imjin River toward the estuary leading to the Yellow Sea, with his eyes set on a North Korean village in Kaepung.
His son aimed a high‑powered telescope at the North. Through the lens, he saw a local North Korean wearing a towel on their head, pedaling a bicycle under a mountain and stopping to speak with another resident.
Lee drove about 45 minutes from his home in Gangseo District, western Seoul, to reach the Aegibong Peace Ecological Park.
As it lies north of the civilian control line, visitors must reserve a time slot and present an ID to enter. The park limits visitation to one hour per person and admits only 200 guests per hour.
![A view of North Korea is seen from the Aegibong Peace Ecological Park in Gimpo, Gyeonggi, on Aug. 22. [JOONGANG ILBO]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/08/27/82ac0b2d-1b1c-4c7e-a40b-b2a88331551f.jpg)
A view of North Korea is seen from the Aegibong Peace Ecological Park in Gimpo, Gyeonggi, on Aug. 22. [JOONGANG ILBO]
“I heard that you could see North Korea with the naked eye and almost didn’t believe it, but today turned out to be an amazing experience,” Lee's wife said. “I think we’ll bring our child back here from time to time.”
The Aegibong Park and Paju Odusan Unification Observatory have recently become popular destinations for people who want to enjoy a “North Korea view” while sipping coffee.
Inside the ecological park sits a Starbucks: the Gimpo Aegibong Ecological Park branch.
The park drew 190,234 visitors last year. Between Jan. 1 and July 31 of this year, it recorded 234,595 visitors. Foreign visitors also increased — from 1,752 in February to 3,836 in March, 5,828 in April and 7,344 in May.
Buoyed by popularity, Gimpo city officials extended park hours on weekends in August and September.
In August, the park stays open from 9:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.; in September, it remains open until 6:30 p.m. The city worked with the 2nd Marine Division, the military unit in charge, to ensure visitors can view the sunset over Kaepung.
Gimpo also partnered with Starbucks Korea to release merchandise — including mugs and tumblers — featuring images of the ecological park; the goods debuted on Friday.
![This photo shows a Starbucks branch at the Aegibong Peace Ecological Park in Gimpo, Gyeonggi on July 7. [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/08/27/43e1be81-4226-4833-b4ba-616cb4e8cd63.jpg)
This photo shows a Starbucks branch at the Aegibong Peace Ecological Park in Gimpo, Gyeonggi on July 7. [YONHAP]
The Odusan Unification Observatory, which also offers views of Kaepung, has seen rising attendance.
Monthly average visitors once hovered near 40,000. Attendance dropped to 23,790 in December last year following heightened tensions after the Dec. 3 emergency martial law. This year, it rose to 30,214 in January, 43,163 in March and 51,227 in May.
Visitors can enter the observatory free of charge. The third‑floor outdoor terrace features binoculars; inside, visitors relax on cushioned bean‑bag sofas and enjoy views of the Imjin River and Kaepung. A vertical banner beside the sofas reads, “Need a break? Try spacing out at the Odusan Unification Observatory."
Experts point to a relaxing of tensions between the Koreas following President Lee Jae Myung's inauguration, including the discontinuation of fly‑over trash balloons and loudspeaker broadcasts, as a key factor behind growing interest in these “front‑line views.”
North Korea’s balloon provocations took place 33 times from May 28 through Nov. 28 last year, but they have stopped since then. The South's Joint Chiefs of Staff also began dismantling about 20 loudspeakers aimed at the North on Aug. 9.
“As inter‑Korean relations slowly improve, people feel increasingly at ease visiting the front line,” said Jung Ran‑su, head of the Future Tourism Strategy Institute. “Some visitors come out of longing for reunification, but many simply come for the novelty.”
Park Jae‑su, a visitor to Odusan Unification Observatory, echoed a more cautious sentiment.
“When I hear Kim Yo‑jong, deputy department director of North Korea’s Workers’ Party, raising her voice lately, I worry that relations between the Koreas could enter a freeze any time,” Park said. “I’m glad I came quickly. This place feels like the quietest spot in South Korea today.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM JEONG-JAE [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.
Standards Board Policy (0/250자)