Photos of Chuncheon, Cheorwon and the DMZ, Gangwon Province, Korea

The city of Chuncheon is the capital of Gangwon-do (Gangwon Province), situated in the North of South Korea along Uiamho (Lake Uiam), an artificial lake, complete with its little island of Jung-do, popular with holidaymakers. It is a nice bicycle ride around the lake.

Northwest of Chuncheon is Cheorwon county, on the North Korean border. North of the 38th parallel, this area became part of North Korea when the partition with the south took place and changed hands several times during the Korean War. After the Armistice Agreement had been signed, Cheorwon county was divided by the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) that now formed the border. The Cheorwon Peace Observatory has been built here, offering a panoramic view of the DMZ and North Korea. Nearby, an invasion tunnel, dug by the North Koreans under the DMZ and discovered in 1975, can be visited and Woljeong-ri railway station, closed by the war, with the remains of a North Korea train that was bombed by UN forces. The ruins of the former Labour (Communist) Party headquarters where many civilians were imprisoned and tortured are nearby.

The Hantangang river gorge in Cheorwon is a very picturesque place, with its towering rock of about 10 metres in height. The river is a popular destination for canoeing, kayaking and rafting trips.