Kaesong

Once the capital of both the short-lived Taebong Kingdom (태봉/泰封) and the mighty Koryo (고려/高麗) dynasty, Kaesong (개성/開城) is the best-preserved historic city in the DPRK, with over a thousand years of continuous habitation. It's also famed across the peninsula for its prized medicinal red ginseng that's harvested in surrounding hills. The city took its present name in 919 AD when King Taejo of Koryo moved his court here. "Kae" (개/開), meaning "open," marked the opening of the royal court to its new seat, while "song" (성/城), meaning "fortress," proclaimed its role as the kingdom's stronghold. When the Armistice was signed, the newly drawn Military Demarcation Line placed Kaesong just inside the DPRK, a few kilometers north of the DMZ.

Old buildings in Kaesong from the Koryo and Joseon Dynasties.

History was kinder to Kaesong than to most northern cities in the 20^th century. Lying south of the 38^th parallel after liberation from Japan, it escaped the worst of the bombing that leveled so many urban centers during the Korean War, leaving much of its old quarter intact.

Today, most visitors go to Kaesong as a day trip from Pyongyang, pairing it with the DMZ and Panmunjom Truce Village. If you've got the time, an overnight stay give you the opportunity to explore beyond the usual checkpoints: you get to wander the narrow lanes between old tile-roofed houses, linger in quiet courtyards, and take in the centuries of history that this unique city has seen.

Getting to Kaesong

Village along the Pyongyang-Kaesong Highway. Photo used with permission from Aram Pan (DPRK360).

Kaesong is roughly 160 km south of Pyongyang, connected by the Pyongyang–Kaesong Highway. The drive takes around 2.5 to 3 hours, depending on traffic and road conditions, and passes through Sariwon (사리원/沙里院), the lively capital of North Hwanghae Province (황해북도/黃海北道), before reaching the historic gates of Kaesong.