#cheolwon

The old ruins of the office of the Labor Party, the ruling party of North Korea, is perhaps Korea’s most haunting reminder of the Korean war. The three-story building used to be The House of Labor Party from 1946 until the war broke out in 1950.

The headquarters has stood witness to the brutality suffered by the people in Cheorwon, Gimhwa, Pyeonggang, and Pocheon under the North Korean government. Many skeletons, bullets and ropes used for torture were found at the dugout behind the building.

The Labor Party Office is located in Cheolwon, a small county in Gangwondo. One part of this county belongs to the North and the other to the South.

Previously it used to be impossible for civilians to access the headquarters of the Labor Party. About 30 percent of Cheolwon now lies on the demilitarized zone, where tourist buses are found in greater number than that of military vehicles. 

Near the ruins is a military checkpoint marking the Civilian Control Line. Taking photos of the checkpoint is strictly prohibited. One soldier even approached our bus to check on our cameras for security purposes.

Travel Info

Admission is Free

Closed: Every Tuesday, New Year's Day, Children's day, Seollal (Lunar New Year's Day) & Chuseok (Korean Thanksgiving Day) holidays Directions

Take an intercity bus from Dong Seoul Bus Terminal (Seoul Subway Line 2, Gangbyeon station) to Dongsong-eup or Sincheorwon. 

Bus schedule: 06:30 - 21:00 // Interval: 20-30 min // Travel time: 2 hrs 20 min

Across from Dongsong Intercity Bus Terminal, take Sintan-ri bound city bus. Interval: 1 hr // Travel time: 20 min

From Sincheorwon Intercity Bus Terminal, walk 3 min toward Cheorwon County Office and there is a post office. Take Dongsong bound city bus from there and get off at Dongsong Intercity Bus Terminal. Then, move as above. Travel time: 50-60 min

Taxi takes 15-20 min from Dongsong Intercity Bus Terminal, and 30 min from Sincheorwon Intercity Bus Terminal.

River Rafting at Hantangang River is hands down the most exciting part of our 4th WKS trip. 

Rafting is a water sport that makes use of thick water boats to ride on swift currents. There are three famous rafting spots in Korea: Naerincheon Stream in Inje, Donggang River in Yeongwol, and the best of them all, Hantangang River in Cheolwon. 

Highly recommended summer activities: Rafting + Cliff Diving

Hantangang River is known as the Grand Canyon of Korea with its steep cliffs and unusual rock formations.

The rafting escapade runs along a 6.5 km course with eight stretches of rapids from Geunhonggyo Bridge to Daehoesan-ri in Yeongbuk-myeon.

Reminders

1. Never take off or untie your life jacket during the ride 2. If your boat capsizes, get as far away from the boat as possible. Getting inside a capsized boat can be dangerous. 3. There is one guide for every boat. Follow instructions carefully. 4. Use aqua shoes or rubber shoes that cover the entire foot. 5. Shower room is available. Bring dry clothes, towel and shower items.

Some earned adventure badges on their knees, yet we were all safe and full of fun stories to tell by the end of the day. We then had BBQ at the pension house and ended the night with a party on the bus.

Travel Info

Choose between an all-in package and a rafting-only program before calling a rafting company for reservation, which is accepted up to one day before the rafting date. Dial 1330 to ask for reservation services in English, Japanese, or Chinese.

Operating hours: 09:00 -16:00 // Season: April to October 

Duration of activity: ~ 2 hrs 30 min 

Activity fee (depends on the course): 25,000 - 50,000 ₩ 

Direction by Bus 

From Dong Seoul Bus Terminal, take a bus to Munhye-ri (First bus - 06:05; Last bus - 21:20). Get off at Munhye-ri and take a taxi 

Travel time from Seoul: 90 min