Koreatimes iconKoreatimesOct 3, 2026 ~1 min source read

Step inside this healing spot inside Civilian Control Line in Paju

"Please prepare for a brief security check." As the bus doors open, a soldier in combat gear boards and collects the identification cards of each passenger. "The IDs will be returned when we come back," the guide explains, putting everyone at ease again.

Step inside this healing spot inside Civilian Control Line in Paju
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"Please prepare for a brief security check." As the bus doors open, a soldier in combat gear boards and collects the identification cards of each passenger.

"The IDs will be returned when we come back," the guide explains, putting everyone at ease again.

This is a checkpoint on the Civilian Control Line, the northernmost point that civilians can freely travel to.

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The useful part

"Please prepare for a brief security check." As the bus doors open, a soldier in combat gear boards and collects the identification cards of each passenger. "The IDs will be returned when we come back," the guide explains, putting everyone at ease again. This is a checkpoint on the Civilian Control Line, the northernmost point that civilians can freely travel to.

How it works

  • If you see a chartered bus crossing the line into the Civilian Control Zone and assume that the passengers are taking part in a security tour or academic research, you would be wrong.
  • They are heading into the forest beyond the Civilian Control Line to relax and recharge — walking on moss, picking up fresh chestnuts and meditating to the sounds of insects and birds.

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