Dora Observatory

Dora Observatory at the DMZ South Korea

Paju - Odusan Unification Observatory

Do you want to go to the DMZ and see North Korea? But do you also want to save some money while visiting Seoul or South-Korea? Then the Odusan Unification Observatory in Paju might be the perfect day trip for you.

A Unique View of North Korea and the DMZ from the Dora Observatory

Dora Observatory is an observatory on top of Mount Dora (Dorasan) in South Korea. This is the closest you can get to North Korea within South Korea without actually crossing into the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

Roughly following the 38th parallel, the DMZ incorporates territory on both sides of the cease-fire line as it existed when an armistice was signed in 1953. The DMZ is 250 kilometers (160 miles) long, and about 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) wide.

The areas north and south of the demarcation are heavily fortified. Located within the territory is the “truce village” of P’anmunjom, but most of the rest of the land has reverted to nature, making it one of the most pristine undeveloped areas in the world.



Introduction
Situated in Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do and at the northernmost point of the Military Demarcation Line, Dora Observatory replaced the previous Songaksan Observation Post. From the observatory, visitors can overlook North Korea and various locations including Gaeseong, Songaksan, Kim Il-Sung Statue, and Cooperation Farm (Geumamgol). The observatory offers 500 seats, VIP rooms, and abundant parking space. It was first opened to the public in January 1987.

Near the observatory is the Third Underground Tunnel, built by North Korea and found in 1978. It stretches over 1.6km with a height and width of 2m, capable of mobilizing 30,000 troops in one hour. In front of the tunnel are a variety of attractions such as the DMZ Media Hall (offering the history of the divided country and flourishing ecosystem in the Demilitarized Zone), DMZ Exhibition Hall (displaying relics and documents related to the Demilitarized Zone), sculptures, and souvenir shops. Visitors can see inside the tunnel by either walking or riding the monorail.

Because civilian access is restricted in this area, visitors must participate in the DMZ Peace & Security Tourist Program (implemented by Paju-si) to visit the observatory. Conducted by a shuttle bus either from Imjingak Resort or Dorasan Station, it goes through the Dora Observatory, 3rd Underground Tunnel, Dorasan Station, and Unification Village. Visitors must carry their passport, which is examined at the checkpoint just beyond Unification Bridge.

Closed
Mondays, National Holidays excluding Saturday, Sunday, Seollal (Lunar New Year's Day) & Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day)

Tour Course Information
[DMZ-related Tour]
A Course (approx. 3 hours): Departure from Imjingak → The 3rd Tunnel (DMZ video room) → Dora Observatory → Dorasan Station → Tongilchon Jikpanjang → Tongilchon Village Museum → Return to Imjingak

B Course (approx. 3 hours 30 min): Departure from Imjingak → Tomb of Heo-jun → Haemaruchon → The 3rd Tunnel (DMZ video room) → Dora Observatory → Return to Imjingak

Operating Hours
Ticketing 09:00-15:00 (ticketing may end earlier depending on the volume of tourists)

Parking Facilities
30-40 parking spaces

Admission Fees
Telescope: 500 won for 2 min

Parking Fees
[Imjingak Parking Fee]
Light-weight cars: 1,000 won
Small cars: 2,000 won
Mid-sized cars: 3,000 won
Large cars 5,000 won

Available Facilities
500 seats, VIP room, situation room, 34 telescopes

Restrooms
Available

Reservation Info. for Natives
First-come, first-served basis (reservations not accepted)

Baby Stroller Rentals
Not available

Pets
Not permitted

Arirang Special - M30Ep285C03 Imjingak and Dorasan in Paju-si

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Dozens of second and third generation Koreans from different parts of the world are back in their motherland, some for the very first time. They are on an 11-day journey across Korea's key cultural and historical sites. Along the way, the group gets a glimpse of where their ancestors came from. By the end of their trip, they will have discovered something special that will last a lifetime.

Dora Observatory - DMZ South Korea

Dora Observatory is on the South Korean side of the 38th parallel. Situated on top of Dorasan (Mount Dora), the observatory looks across the Demilitarized Zone. It is the part of South Korea closest to the North.

[SOUTH KOREA] Driving from Dongpae-dong to Odusan Unification Observatory in Paju city

Driving from Dongpae-dong neighborhood to Odusan Unification Observatory by Freedom Highway, both in Paju municipality, South Korea.

Video 3.9x speed. Watch in HD!

No music copyright infringement intended:
Song 1: Donawhale (도나웨일) - Doremi (도레미)

Tour of the Demilitarized Zone

세계 유일의 관광지 - 외국인들의 DMZ 투어
North Korea is swiftly gaining attention from the world with U.S. President Trump agreeing to hold a summit with Kim Jong-un.
Congruently, more foreign tourists are visiting the Demilitarized Zone, or the DMZ, to get a glimpse of the scars and wounds of the Korean War. Let’s visit the site to learn more about Korean history.

The DMZ tour begins in central Seoul every morning. What compelled these non-Koreans to join this tour?

My expections for this tour are...hopefully to see..to have a good view of North Korea and to learn a little bit more about what life is like for them, and also to learn a little bit more about history of North and South Korea.

The DMZ is a buffer zone established in 1953 when the Armistice Agreement was signed, along the north and south of the Military Demarcation Line, 2km into North Korea and 2km into South Korea.

The first destination is Imjingak Pavilion in Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do ( , ) Province, about an hour drive from Seoul. Only 7km from the ceasefire line, it is the railroad disconnection point between South and North Korea.
This place is also dubbed the “hometown for displaced people” due to the close proximity to the North. Here, they perform ancestral rites by bowing toward their hometowns every New Year's Day and Chuseok, Korean Thanksgiving.
Behind the Mangbaedan Memorial Alter is the Bridge of Freedom, which 13,000 South Korean prisoners crossed to return home during the war.

Keeping the bridge here is unbelievable, so that we can hear the story and know what occured here and that we can learn from it, and not resort back to the past of what happened.


North Korea conducted numerous provocations even after the ceasefire in 1953. The four underground tunnels they built for secret forays into the South are prime examples.


The Third Tunnel, in particular, was deemed to be the most threatening as an invasion tool due to its proximity to the capital; only 52km north of Seoul or a 45-minute drive by car.
Spanning over 1,635m in length, 2m in width, and 2m in height, it is estimated that approximately 30,000 soldiers could move through the tunnel per hour.

It's really nice to experience for this first hand to see exactly what it looks like and to actually see how many times the North try infiltrate into the South, to see the history how close they are to one another.

The next stop is the Dora Observatory at the northernmost point of the Military Demarcation Line where visitors can catch a rare glimpse of North Korea through binoculars. How do foreign visitors feel, seeing North Korea in person? The North Korean flag catches the eye. South Korea also has its giant flag on its side, and they are known to be the tallest flagpoles in the respective countries.
Although the Korean War was suspended 65 years ago, tension and peace still coexist in the area.

Its history is still going on, as a history major it's interesting and fascinating to see. There's no movement you don't see this where we come from.

The last destination is Dorasan Station, the only international station across the nation. It was once a route for freight trains with industrial supplies traveling into the North but now a tourist train running once a day. The station is one of many symbols of Korea's separation, but it also reflects the hopes for a successful reunification. It’s currently the last station toward the north, but it will eventually be the first one on the northern side when the railways are connected.

How did the foreign visitors enjoy the DMZ tour?

It's a very interesting tour, very sad to see separation between two the Koreas when obviously they should be together, wish them the best of luck but I'm not very sure if it's gonna be done in our life time.

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Guide to Odusan Unification Observatory (North Korean Observatory) and Korean Table

Hi Food Tourists of the world!

This video is slightly different to our other videos but hopefully you'll enjoy it! We recently went on a trip to Seoul in South Korea and while we were there were lucky enough to visit the Odusan Unification Observatory or the North Korean Observatory and this is the video we made along the way.

The trip to the observatory included getting the public bus which you can find helpful information about here:



Along with the Odusan Unification Observatory, we also visited the Art Village which was built for the Unification of North Korea and South Korea in 2000 which sadly did not happen. Today the village is there as a tourist attraction and a reminder of the ongoing work between the two countries to move towards unification.

For lunch we visited a local Korean Table restaurant which is a Korean speciality which involves lots of small dishes including kim chi, roasted pork, noodle soup, fried fish and pickled jelly fish, all served together for everybody to share. To read more about our adventures with Korean food, check out our blog here:



Finally, we visited the Odusan Unification Observatory. We were able to get the shuttle bus from the bus station at the foot of the hill (look out for a huge green convenience store at the bus station) and the ride is free.

Entry to the Odusan Unification Observatory is 3000won and will have you standing about 2km from North Korea. When we visited the DMZ was closed to tourists due to the tension around the North Korean missile tests so this was about as close as we could get. The day we visited was quite hazy but with the binoculars we could see clearly into North Korea.

The visitor centre has a video in English which explains what the buildings you are looking at are as well as the history of the Korean war and a little more about the hope for Unification.

As you drive back towards Seoul, you'll see barbed wire fences and look out towers separating the North and the South.

We enjoyed this trip a lot and are looking forward to putting out our food guide to Seoul (subscribe for more videos and updates!)

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Went to the DMZ and Paju Provence Village!

Went to my second field trip with WOWKOREA supporters on June 1-2 to Paju and Ganghwa island, and here's part 1 of the vlog where you can see what we did in Paju. Don't forget to watch the second vlog in Ganghwa island.

For visiting the DMZ, I recommend getting an official tour since some spots are not accessible unless you’re in a tour group.

Google map links:
- Imjingak (Bridge of Freedom):
- Third Tunnel:
- Dorasan Station:
- Dora Observatory:
- Pyeonghwa-Nuri Park:
- Pyeonghwa Land:
- Provence Village:

My Instagram (@tizzyy):

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Visiting the North - South Korean Unification Observatory

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This trip was a special request from my father, so we visited the Unification Observatory while he was visiting Korea.

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DMZ visit - The 3rd Tunnel & Dora Observatory

DMZ visit - closest glimpse and proximity I can get to North Korea

The 3rd Tunnel​ - Discovered in 1978. 1,635m in length, 2m in width, and 2m in height. Was told that 3000 soldiers can move thru the tunnel per hour
We went into the Tunnel and walked around 30mins. Quite hard to walk as it is tight and low height.
Not for the elderly for sure


Dora Observatory ​​- To catch the closest glimpse of North Korea. Too bad the weather was rainy. Cannot see clearly

View into North Korea from Dora Observatory, South Korea DMZ

- Video Footage taken in May 2018 from Dora Observatory in the South Korean DMZ
- Views into North Korea which include The Kijong-dong Propaganda Village and the city of Kaesong in North Korea
-Shot in 4K using a Go Pro Hero 4

Tour of the Demilitarized Zone

세계 유일의 관광지 - 외국인들의 DMZ 투어
North Korea is swiftly gaining attention from the world with U.S. President Trump agreeing to hold a summit with Kim Jong-un.
Congruently, more foreign tourists are visiting the Demilitarized Zone, or the DMZ, to get a glimpse of the scars and wounds of the Korean War. Let’s visit the site to learn more about Korean history.

The DMZ tour begins in central Seoul every morning. What compelled these non-Koreans to join this tour?

My expections for this tour are...hopefully to see..to have a good view of North Korea and to learn a little bit more about what life is like for them, and also to learn a little bit more about history of North and South Korea.

The DMZ is a buffer zone established in 1953 when the Armistice Agreement was signed, along the north and south of the Military Demarcation Line, 2km into North Korea and 2km into South Korea.

The first destination is Imjingak Pavilion in Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do ( , ) Province, about an hour drive from Seoul. Only 7km from the ceasefire line, it is the railroad disconnection point between South and North Korea.
This place is also dubbed the “hometown for displaced people” due to the close proximity to the North. Here, they perform ancestral rites by bowing toward their hometowns every New Year's Day and Chuseok, Korean Thanksgiving.
Behind the Mangbaedan Memorial Alter is the Bridge of Freedom, which 13,000 South Korean prisoners crossed to return home during the war.

Keeping the bridge here is unbelievable, so that we can hear the story and know what occured here and that we can learn from it, and not resort back to the past of what happened.


North Korea conducted numerous provocations even after the ceasefire in 1953. The four underground tunnels they built for secret forays into the South are prime examples.


The Third Tunnel, in particular, was deemed to be the most threatening as an invasion tool due to its proximity to the capital; only 52km north of Seoul or a 45-minute drive by car.
Spanning over 1,635m in length, 2m in width, and 2m in height, it is estimated that approximately 30,000 soldiers could move through the tunnel per hour.

It's really nice to experience for this first hand to see exactly what it looks like and to actually see how many times the North try infiltrate into the South, to see the history how close they are to one another.

The next stop is the Dora Observatory at the northernmost point of the Military Demarcation Line where visitors can catch a rare glimpse of North Korea through binoculars. How do foreign visitors feel, seeing North Korea in person? The North Korean flag catches the eye. South Korea also has its giant flag on its side, and they are known to be the tallest flagpoles in the respective countries.
Although the Korean War was suspended 65 years ago, tension and peace still coexist in the area.

Its history is still going on, as a history major it's interesting and fascinating to see. There's no movement you don't see this where we come from.

The last destination is Dorasan Station, the only international station across the nation. It was once a route for freight trains with industrial supplies traveling into the North but now a tourist train running once a day. The station is one of many symbols of Korea's separation, but it also reflects the hopes for a successful reunification. It’s currently the last station toward the north, but it will eventually be the first one on the northern side when the railways are connected.

How did the foreign visitors enjoy the DMZ tour?

It's a very interesting tour, very sad to see separation between two the Koreas when obviously they should be together, wish them the best of luck but I'm not very sure if it's gonna be done in our life time.

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Trip to the Odusan Unification Observatory North Limit Line

My short visit to the Odusan Unification Observatory at the Northern Limit Line between the ROK and DPRK

[MYSTERY TRAVELERS] It’s Amazing! But I Feel Like Crying [Dora Observatory, 갑작스러운 슬픔]

It’s Amazing! But I Feel Like Crying [Dora Observatory] DMZ 도라 전망대에서 느낀 갑작스러운 슬픔

TRAVELERS :
- Lara Benito Rodriguez [Spain] / YouTube Channel [LaraLand 라라랜드]
- Sherry Zhao [China] / YouTube Channel [Chinese Sherry 상하이여자조사유]
- Alex Michael Sigrist [America] / YouTube Channel [Michin Alex 미국친구 알렉스]

LOCATION :
- PAJU CITY, GYEONGGI PROVINCE 경기도 파주
- DORASAN Station 도라산역
- DMZ, Demilitarized Zone 비무장지대
- Dora Observatory 도라 전망대

Inside Odusan Unification Observatory

LOOKING INTO NORTH KOREA // DMZ TOUR

We have arrived in South Korea and spent 2 weeks in Seoul. One day we took a trip to the DMZ (demilitarised zone) along the North Korean border. We visited the Odusan and Dora observatories. Dorasan station and the direct line to Pyongyang station. Next we stopped at the 3rd Infiltration Tunnel next to the DMZ.

Follow us on our journey through films and vlogs across the world - reclaim the freedom.

a film by alex browne

location: along the DMZ, South Korea

gear: Nikon D5100 + Nikkor 35mm + Nikkor 18-105mm + Nikkor 18-55mm, RØDE VideoMic, Joby GorillaPod SLR-Zoom + Ballhead, Gobe Variable ND Filters, Neewer 60cm Stabiliser, Polaroid Cube+, DJI Mavic Air, iPhone 5S

edit: Final Cut Pro X + Adobe Illustrator Draw

music: Chillhop
from album


The Breed - Chocolate Covered Dreams
B Side x Sixcube - Don't Cry

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At Dora Observatory Overseeing North Korea

Travel Story - Ep06C02 Korean Health Care Service and Namsangol Hanok Village

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Last Dream of Korean War Veteran
Sometimes even the life of one person can serve as evidence of tragic history that should never be forgotten. The 82-year-old Korean War veteran Kenneth Lee Ostrum from the U.S. visited Korea for the first time since the devastating war, and he brought with him a photograph that was taken 60 years ago. Mr. Ostrum was in charge of training recruits and restoring the ruined infrastructure of Korean cities. The most rewarding and memorable thing for him was setting up an orphanage for war orphans. He says he received inspiration and encouragement from Korean people who helped one another during the difficult times and didn't lose hope even in the most desperate situations.
During his one-week stay in Korea, Mr. Ostrum visited Imjingak Park and Dora Observatory in Paju, which symbolize the pain of the divided nation. He was impressed by how Seoul has grown into one of the world's biggest metropolises. But the primary goal of Mr. Ostrum's trip to Korea was visiting Nonsan and Ganggyeong, where he wanted to meet with Miss Jang, who spearheaded the establishment of the orphanage during the Korean War. The faded photo that he brought with him shows the 22-year-old Mr. Ostrum with some 50 war orphans and the unforgettable Miss Jang. Will the final wish of his life come true?

VLOG 1Day in Paju (DMZ-NorthKorea)???????????????? | candycandiies

List of places I visited in Paju JUST ONE DAY:
- Imjingak Station
- Imjingak Pyeonghwa Nuri Park
- Imjingak Amusement Park
- Mysig Cafe
- DMZ
- Third Tunnel of Aggression
- Dorasan Station
- Dora Observatory
- 고향집 시골밥상 ( Restaurant )
- Provence Village