Kumgangsan or Mount Kumgang is the best-known mountain in North Korea. It has a height of 1638 m and is located on the east coast of the country, in Kumgangsan Tourist Region, formerly part of Kangwon Province. Kumgangsan is part of the Taebaek mountain range which runs along the east of the Korean peninsula. The name means Diamond Mountain. Kumgangsan has been known for its scenic beauty since antiquity. It is covered in forest and the area around Kŭmgangsan is one of the wettest in Korea.The mountain consists almost entirely of granite and diorite, weathered over centuries into a great variety of shapes, including over 12,000 picturesque stone formations, ravines, cliffs, stone pillars and peaks. Can the sound of a temple bell call forth a mountain range? It would seem unlikely. But in the case of Korea's "holy of holies" Mount Kumgang (aka Kumgangsan, Geumgangsan National Park or the "Diamond Mountains"), nothing appears to be impossible. Poets, artists and mystics have long celebrated Kumgangsan as a place of miraculous happenings. The Buddhist scripture the Avatamska Sutra records that "12,000 miracles" are created by the 12,000 peaks of this spectacular range, which is also said to be the home of the Buddha. Rugged stone sentinels, so jagged that they could have been cut out with a fretsaw, tower over the raging waterfalls and ever-changing flora of the valleys making up the 2,400 square kilometre National Park. A visit to Kumgangsan is obviously a "peak" experience. The problem is that getting there is not so easy, as the range lies wholly within North Korea. But while politicians have been arguing about North Korea's nuclear program on the world stage, behind the scenes a real dialogue between North and South Korea has been taking place. Within the Korean National Tourism Organisation there is a Department of Inter-Korea Tourism, and on October 3, 2003, delegates from South and North Korea will jointly celebrate National Foundation Day in the North Korean capital Pyongyang.
On September 1 this year (2003), I was privileged to be along for the ride with the very first group of Westerners and South Korean tourists allowed to enter North Korea by road, via an east coast route through the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ). This land route into North Korea opened briefly in February 2003, solely to allow family reunions between long-separated North and South Koreans, but six weeks later, the border was inexplicably closed once again. The re-opening of the border came as a milestone, the first time that tourists, travellers and others have been permitted to cross the DMZ. In the absence of a land route, the Hyundai Company has since 1998 been running cruises from the South Korean port of Gaesong to Kumgangsan. These tours attracted large numbers of South Koreans, but were costly and inconvenient to run. Things came to a head in August 2003 when Chung Mon-Hun, the heir to the Hyundai throne, committed suicide over rumours of financial scandals surrounding Kumgangsan and other company operations. Manmulsang Area. Fantastically shaped cliffs and rocks, about a 10-kilometer drive from the Kumgangsan Hotel. Among the peculiarly shaped rocks are Samson (three-fairy) rock, consisting of three rocks standing side by side behind Mansang pavilion at the entrance to Manmulsang. There's also the Kwimyon (demonfaced) rock, made up by a small rock standing on a bigger one, and the Chonson (fairies-from-heaven) rock which serves as an observatory. Ten people can stand here and look out at the peaks. According to the myth fairies came here to play. Northwest of the rock, is the Fairies Lake, where the fairies washed themselves before returning to heaven.
There are two main ways to visit: either by bus from Goseong, in which case it's even possible to daytrip, or by cruise ship from Sokcho, in which case the tour takes a minimum of three days. Prices start at around W400,000 but vary greatly depending on day of departure, the hotel you stay in, etc. A typical 3-day tour from Seoul (Friday 9 am until Sunday about 6:30pm) would cost around $610-660. Laptops, PDAs, cell phones, cameras with 160mm or longer lenses, binoculars with 10x zoom or higher are not allowed. Video cameras may be confiscated at the border - unless the zoom is less than 24x. Anything taken will be stored, and returned to you upon exit from North Korea. Foreigners do not seem to need a re-entry permit if leaving from South Korea to the North. Before going through customs you will receive a temporary passport (a small booklet with passport information written on it, a debit card to be used in tourist zones, a filled embarkment card. These will be in a plastic sheath, to be worn around the neck at all times while in the North. South Korean exit procedures are performed at the Goseong Observatory. There is a special line for Foreigners, (aptly, although somewhat bluntly, labelled "Foreigner"). You will receive a South Korean exit stamp. On the other side, you will be assigned a bus, that you will stay with for the duration of the tour. Remember your bus number, or you will most likely face hassle from North Korean border guards.
