Saturday: The RASKB is going birdwatching in Cheorwon. The site is above the 38th parallel, near the South-North border, so participants can see migrating birds and remnants of the Korean War. The group will visit the North Korea Second Infiltration Tunnel, discovered in 1975 in the DMZ. Large enough for heavy weapons, the tunnel extends 1.1 kilometers south of the Military Demarcation Line to a point 101 kilometers from Seoul. The next stop is an observation point overlooking North Korea. From here, Manchurian cranes can be seen. Next comes Woljeong-ri Railroad Station, once used to connect Seoul to a station now in North Korea. After viewing Nodongdang-sa, the remains of the Communist Party building, it’s back to Seoul. The trip is 35,000 won ($37) for members and 42,000 won for non-members. The bus leaves from the Yongsan Post Office, near Sinyongsan Station, line No. 4, exit 1, at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday. The return is set for 7:30 p.m.
ZTRAVELBUG GANGWON PROVINCE ADVENTURE
Feb. 6 to 10: For winter revelers looking to delve into the heart of the season, Ztravelbug is putting on a tour to Gangwon Province. The trip includes skiing at Kangwon Land, one of the most modern ski resorts in Asia, and hiking on Mount Seorak, the third-highest mountain in South Korea and a designated national park. Along with the only casino in Korea where Koreans are allowed to gamble, Kangwon Land boasts vistas of mountains and the East Sea (Sea of Japan). After three days of skiing, the group will leave for a five-hour hike on Seorak on Friday. The next day, the group will venture to Seorak’s highest point, Daecheongbong Peak, which reaches 1,708 meters (5,603 feet) into the sky. A soak in the hot springs will finish off the trip before the return to Seoul on Sunday at around 5:30 p.m.
The trip costs 315,000 won, and the bus leaves from the Hamilton Hotel at Itaewon Station, line No. 6, exit 1, at 11 a.m. on Wednesday.