[Yeoncheon (Gyeonggi) = Text and Photos by Lee Daily Kang Gyeong-rok, Travel Reporter] “First, take a look at the mountains.”
The “Typhoon Observation Deck” in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province. The tour guide I met at this frontline observation deck, where a palpable sense of tension hangs in the air, made an unexpected remark. Before my eyes lay layer upon layer of mountains, all roughly the same height. Peaks ranging from 200 to 300 meters in height stretch out to the north, with the Imjin River winding its way through them. It’s a scene you’d expect to see anywhere in northern Gyeonggi Province. Yet, after hearing the guide’s explanation, those once-ordinary mountains took on a new perspective.

It gradually became clear where the South ended and the North began. The barbed-wire fence stretching between the mountains marked that very boundary. The closest point to the Military Demarcation Line was a mere 800 meters away—a distance that would take only a dozen or so minutes to walk on flat ground. Yet here, that short distance could not be crossed. The very fact that such a nearby piece of land could feel so distant was strange. Traveling in Yeoncheon is, in this way, an experience that brings home the realities of national security and division.

◇Another Mental Barrier Drawn Along the Line of Division
To visit the Taepung Observation Deck, you must first coordinate your timing. After having your ID verified at the access control center in Jung-myeon, Yeoncheon County, you must follow the guided shuttle at the designated time. Access is permitted four times a day. Only 10 vehicles and a maximum of 80 people are allowed in at a time. You must meet both conditions to gain entry. Access on foot or by bicycle is prohibited, and access may be suddenly restricted depending on military circumstances.
Photography is restricted at the observation deck. Visitors must receive instructions on where they are permitted to take photos and must not stray from the designated path. This is quite different from typical tourist sites where you buy a ticket and roam freely. Thanks to the unobstructed view, the scenery overlooking the Demilitarized Zone is more spectacular than anywhere else in Yeoncheon, but due to the strict access restrictions, if you don’t make the cut, you’ll have to turn back. This site serves as a stark reminder that, before it is a tourist attraction, it is a highly secure military facility.

Upon entering the observation deck, the tour guide first explained the mountain’s topography. That was why he had advised us not to try to locate North Korea right away. Only after we had thoroughly surveyed the mountain did the discussion turn to the Military Demarcation Line. The guide went on to explain where the South ends and the North begins across the Imjin River, and how the Military Demarcation Line differs from the Southern Limit Line. The name “Typhoon Observation Deck” comes from “Typhoon Unit,” the nickname of the Army’s 28th Division, which formerly oversaw this area. Since the unit’s reorganization, neighboring units have been sharing border patrol duties.

While explaining the Army’s 25th Division, which currently guards this area, the tour guide mentioned a landmine accident that occurred not long ago. The accident took place in an operational zone other than the Typhoon Observation Deck. After conducting a joint investigation with the United Nations Command, military authorities concluded that a Suji-ban anti-personnel landmine—laid by North Korean forces south of the Military Demarcation Line—had exploded.
Perhaps because of this, the atmosphere here was even more tense. Nevertheless, the mountains visible from the observation deck were serene. They were no different from any other mountains, with trees growing and valleys stretching out. Yet somewhere in those mountains, soldiers stand guard day and night, conducting search operations to locate landmines. Behind the scenery that tourists briefly gaze at before moving on, someone is risking their life every day to hold the line.

Recently, North Korea has been further strengthening its border with the South. It has severed the roads and railways that once connected the two Koreas and is installing new defensive facilities along the Military Demarcation Line. As North Korea defines the South as a hostile, separate nation, the physical separation has deepened. The Armistice Agreement signed on July 27, 1953, was not a peace treaty that completely ended the war. It was a promise to temporarily halt hostilities.
Even now, more than 70 years later, the Military Demarcation Line drawn that day continues to divide the South and the North. Before descending from the observation deck, I looked back at the mountains to the north. They were no different from the mountains I had always seen right beside us. The fact that I could not cross over to those mountains, even with them right before my eyes, left a heavy weight on my heart.

Just over 4 km down from the Typhoon Observation Deck, the atmosphere changes completely. This is the “Imjin River Pampas Grass Garden,” located in Samgot-ri along the banks of the Imjin River. Escaping the strict entry procedures and tight security, I found myself immersed in the vibrant late-autumn scenery in just over five minutes.
This garden also has a story behind it. After the construction of the Gunam Flood Control Dam, it was none other than the residents of Jung-myeon who cultivated the abandoned, flooded land that had become overgrown with invasive plants. They cleared away the weeds and planted pampas grass and flowers, transforming the area into a signature autumn attraction for the region.
Walking among the red kochia plants bathed in the autumn sun requires neither ID checks nor adherence to designated paths. The stifling entry procedures you just went through at the Typhoon Observatory quickly fade from memory. This place is so peaceful and free that you can stop and linger as long as you like whenever you come across a view that catches your eye.

◇A 1,500-Year-Old Border Wall… Gazing Toward the North
The Imjin River is dotted with sites that preserve the history of this land. “Horogoru” in Wondang-ri, Jangnam-myeon, is a fortress built by the Goguryeo Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period on a basalt plateau north of the Imjin River. Upon entering the fortress ruins, the imposing fortress walls rising at the far end of the vast meadow catch the eye. To the west, the Imjin River flows, flanked by a continuous stretch of basalt cliffs along the riverbank. The southern and northern sides utilize the riverbank cliffs as natural fortifications, while artificial walls were built only on the eastern side, where the fortress meets the mainland.

Goguryeo built a fortress here because there was a ford on the Imjin River below Horogoru. Since the water was shallow, people could cross the river even without a boat. Securing such a ford was crucial to determining the outcome of battles when large armies were on the move, and Goguryeo built Horogoru to block this strategic passage. At the time, the Imjin River was a fiercely contested border. In addition to Horogoru, Yeoncheon is home to the remains of Dangpo Fortress and Eundae-ri Fortress—all of which are Goguryeo riverside fortresses that utilized the riverbank terrain to monitor easily crossable passages.
Sitting on the wall of Horogoru, I quietly gaze down at the Imjin River. Inside the fortress, only weeds grow rampantly. This place, where soldiers once remained on high alert while watching for enemy movements, has now become a scenic spot where visitors can leisurely enjoy the view of the Imjin River. The fortress that Goguryeo risked their lives to defend 1,500 years ago is now a historical site where anyone can comfortably climb up and enjoy the breeze.

We concluded our journey at “Oknyeobong.” Standing atop Oknyeobong at 205 meters above sea level is a massive 10-meter-tall sculpture. It depicts a naked man with his arms hanging down and his upper body slightly bent forward. It is “Greeting Man,” a work by sculptor Yoo Young-ho.
The Greeting Man’s gaze is fixed on the north. He bows his head and waist 15 degrees to greet the North Korean territory beyond the Military Demarcation Line. The angle of 15 degrees was chosen to show respect to the other side while maintaining his own dignity. For this naked giant, distinctions such as social status or ideology do not exist. Only the essence of being “human” remains. This “Greeting Man” was installed here in April 2016. The distance to the North is just over 4 km. The artist had intended to erect sculptures on Oknyeobong Peak in Yeoncheon, South Korea, and on Moryangsan Mountain in Jangpung County, North Korea, so that they would face each other, but only the giant on the South Korean side has found its place.
Before long, the sun began to dip below the western mountain ridge. The evening light settled upon the Greeting Man’s jade-colored body. Though the sun was setting in the west, the giant’s gaze was fixed northward.
In the ten years since the Greeting Man was erected, inter-Korean relations have shifted several times. Throughout that time, the giant on Oknyeobong Peak has never moved from his spot. Today, too, the giant stood with his arms hanging straight down, bowing toward the North.