Seoul-searching - Day 5 (of 12) of our South Korea Adventure - DMZ, Insadong, Gyeongbukgong Palace, Korean Folk Museum and St. Ignatius House

I honestly think that when somebody visits a country there should be some culture, some history, some art and lots of fun. So on our fifth day, we decided to have our dose of little history with a DMZ tour. DMZ or demilitarized zone is a border established by North Korea and South Korea after the Korean War. Stretching a total of around 4 kilometers, it cuts the Korean Peninsula roughly in half. After the collapse of the Berlin Wall in Germany, Korea became the only "divided" country in the world, making DMZ, the world's most heavily armed border. It was very appealing, to me especially, that we're actually going to see a glimpe of North Korea.

We requested Jon, the owner of Dongdaemun Inn, to book us a DMZ Tour the night before. Our van arrived at 7:30 am. Then they headed out to pick three more passengers - an American and two Filipinos. Our tour guide was Misu, a lady who speaks good English and very patient in answering all our queries. We travelled around 50 minutes from Seoul. Their highway was still lined up with flowering cherry blossoms trees so we really had a great time appreciating the view. After our guide got our tickets, we boarded a DMZ tour bus which brought us to different points of interest.


DMZ TOUR COURSE:
1. Imjingak Park
It is at the forefront of tourism for anything related to the Korean conflict. It's the first part of the tour. We saw a huge bell, a train line which was destroyed during the Korean War and an area where they hang messages of unification.

 
2. Unification Bridge
This leads to the DMZ.  South Korean army soldiers stand guard here. They entered our bus and checked our passport. But there's nothing to fear and worry about,  it's just a routine procedure.


3. Dorasan Station
We went down to see the Dorasan Station. It was eerie because we're used to people-packed subway stations. Except for the military personnel manning the turnstile, the ticket counter lady, some tour guides with their flock of visitors, the $40 million facility was empty. This station connects North and South Korea via the Gyeongui line. For a time, the train was operational but the ever-fluctating tension between the two Koreas led North Korea to stop the train operation on their side. Now Dorasan Station is a dead end, making it the last train stop in South Korea.
 
4. Dora Observatory
It was a sad case of so near yet so far. This is, I think, the closest we'll ever be to North Korea. We saw the Kaesong complex and the other treeless areas of NoKor.  Located around 10 kilometers away from DMZ, the Kaesong complex is a collaborative industrial zone where North Koreans are employed by South Korean companies. There were several telescopes scattered around the area.  We dropped some coins to further magnify what we can see on the other side.
 
5. DMZ Theater
They showed us an audio visual presentation about the Korean War in a viewing room. It ran for around 15 minutes. Honestly, I liked how they produced the video.  It was concise and very informative.

6. The Third Tunnel
Our tour guide said that South Korean soldiers discovered tunnels built by North Koreans. Proof of NoKor's intent to invade SoKor. The third tunnel was discovered in October of 1978. We walked down the tunnel and back. The climbing up was more difficult since it was uphill. But there were railings on the walls and some benches for those who need some time to rest.

 
7. Grocery Store
Our last stop was a grocery-like store. We looked around and tasted some food samples. I specially liked their coffee chocolate and their bean nuts.

The tour actually ended when they brought us to a ginseng store. Of course, there was a sales pitch but we didn't buy anything. Since we didn't eat a full meal for lunch, we requested our van driver to drop us at Insadong for our super late lunch.

INSADONG
Insadong Street is a place where traditional goods are on display. On both sides are alleys of traditional restaurants, cafes and art galleries.

It's a good thing that we went on a Sunday. The street was teeming with people and performers. The kids sat down to watch a free bubble show.

They also took time watching some musicians. And we stumbled upon good-tasting sweets that were made on the spot like the taffy and the "fried" caramel.

GYEONGBUKGONG PALACE
Gyeongbukgong Palace was walking distance from Insadong. We walked here and bought our tickets.

We stayed around for the changing of the guards ceremony then entered the palace grounds.

We also had a fun time touring the palace grounds.  There were lots of people going around so we just took some photos and went to the Korean Folk Museum.
 
KOREAN FOLK MUSEUM
We had a good time walking in the afternoon because the wind was so subtle and the grounds were full of blooms. We even sat down for a while to take in the scenery.

We took photos with our Chinese zodiac animals which were just outside the museum entrance.
Inside the Korean Folk Museum is a Children's Museum. It has an outdoor space where kids can run around and play Korean folk games.  It was so touching how fathers and mothers would attempt to teach their kids their folk games. Our kids just ran around and play with whatever is there.
 
ST. IGNATIUS HOUSE at Sogang University
It was Palm Sunday so we really couldn't miss mass. We learned that there's a 7:30 English mass at St. Ignatius House, a chapel at Sogang University in Sinchon. We took the subway from Gyeongbukgong then went down at Sinchon Station.  We walked for ten minutes before we saw Sogang University. It was an uphill climb to the chapel.

There were people gathered outside. Apparently, they're waiting for the priest and was preparing for their re-enactment of Christ's triumphant entry to Jerusalem. I was so happy that we were able to hear mass. I thought we wouldn't be able to make it. What's good about this church was that they serve food at the end of the mass. And everybody can partake. Honestly, the people, mostly university students, were warm and friendly that we felt no guilt or shame to get some chips and sodas.

What touched me the most after the mass was, R approached the priest, got his hand and pressed it on her forehead. I heard the priest say to his companion, "Filipino?" To which his companion replied, "I think so. They're the only ones who do that." I was brimming with pride.

This was such a very long day. But we feel blessed that we were able to accomplish everything on our list. It was tiring but very fulfilling. The mass was the perfect ending for a wonderful day.

Day 5 in a nutshell: Things you might need to know
1. The DMZ tour costs KW41,000 for both kids and adults. 
2. Ask your tour provider for drop off options. We chose Insadong for it's artsy feel. And it's walking distance to Gyeongbukgong Palace which was the next stop on our itinerary. This was also where we bought our pasalubong. We realized that it's cheaper here compared to other places we've been.
3. From Insadong we walked to Gyeongbukgong Palace. 
Adress: 22, Sajik-ro 9-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul (If you're taking the subway, go down at Gyeongbukgong Station on the orange line)
Closed: Every Tuesday
Operating Hours: 9:00am to 6pm (Last Admission is 1 hour before closing)Admission Fee: KW3,000 (adults); KW1,500 (kids)
Ceremony Time: changing of the guards or exiting of the guards10am, 1pm, 3pm, 4pm (exiting of the guards)
4. Admission to the Korean Folk Museum and the Children's Museum is included in the Gyeongbukgong Palace ticket. Both are also inside the Palace grounds.
5. Direction to St. Ignatius House in Sogang University
From Gyeongbukgong Station (orange line), we went to Eulji-ro 3 (sam)-ga. We transferred to the green line for Sinchon. Walk to Sogang University (around 7-10 minutes). Enter Sogang University. It's a five minute uphill climb to the chapel.