How to Visit the DMZ Between South and North Korea by Bike 🇰🇷 DMZ Bike Path Day 5

#korea #cycling #dmz
Hello everyone! In this video I continue the Pyeonghwa Nuri Bike Path (평화누리자전거길) which follows the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) between South and North Korea. I start today’s ride at Imjingak (임진각), which is a tourist area right next to the DMZ, and one of the stops on the DMZ tours from Seoul. At Imjingak you can see the Peace Bell, Bridge of Freedom, A locomotive that was shot down during the Korean War, and the Freedom Gate Bridge that was bombed during the war as well. It really gives you a perspective of just how hard a time the war was, and made me hope that the two countries can figure something out someday. Then I continued up North along Courses 5 and 6, where I ended up on a really hilly, countryside ride, and made it all the way to Jeongok-eub (전곡읍) to find out that the free campsite I was hoping for wasn’t so free afterall!
🚴‍♂️ Course 5 + 6 Route Starting at Jangsan Mountain Lookout and ending in Jeongok-eub
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📍Locations in Video:
Imjingak (임진각) - tourist area next to the DMZ
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Pyeonghwa Nuri Bike Path Course 5 Start (평화누리자전거길 5코스 시점)
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Pyeonghwa Nuri Bike Path Course 6 Start (평화누리자전거길 6코스 시점)
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Yeoncheon Hakgok-ri Stone Mound Tomb (연천학곡리적석총)
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Jeongok Hanaro Mart (전곡농협하나로마트)
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Green Motel (그린모텔) - motel in Jeongok-eub with incredibly friendly owners
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🌐 Links in Video:
Pyeonghwa Nuri Bike Path Website (평화누리자전거길)
dmz.gg.go.kr/gg_dmz-tour/peac...
Chapters:
00:00 Intro and Eating Breakfast
00:55 Biking to Imjingak
01:54 Imjingak
05:03 Biking Pyeonghwa Nuri Bike Path Course 5
09:59 Biking Pyeonghwa Nuri Bike Path Course 6
13:53 Trying to find Free Campsite at Jeongok-eub
17:00 Outro
Patreon/Donations:
𝐏 Patreon: patreon.com/user?u=83742549
🅿️ Paypal: paypal.me/lostthenfound
🛒 Our Video Equipment:
www.amazon.ca/hz/wishlist/ls/...

[@peteratassiborges]

Hi - I’m the guy from Vancouver that liked a lot your KZbin about all the trails. Just returned from Busan, having concluded the 600 km in about 11 days, with a Brompton. Now back in Seoul, waiting for my flight on the 21st May. Again, thank you for your help with all the information! Now that I finished, I can tell you that I’m 74 years old, and was inspired by your articles. Cheers, Pedro Borges

[@lostthenfound]

Hello Pedro fellow BCer, thanks so much for watching and for getting in touch! Wow 74 years old and you just biked from Seoul to Busan! You are incredible! I gotta show my Dad this (he's 71) so he can get some inspiration as well! That's a very impressive feat, and I'm super happy that you had a good time cycling down the country! Please feel free to contact us at [e-mail] anytime if you have any questions about Korea during your stay here, and take care eh!

[@Mudskipper9876]

This one moved me to tears. The idea of war and reunification is such a heavy concept. Thank you for showing us the northern countryside.

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks a lot for watching @Mudskipper9876 and I'm glad that I could show a bit of the Northern countryside as well! War and reunification is certainly a heavy concept too, and I just hope that something happens in the future to take one step closer together rather than further away, no matter what it is. Living in South Korea you almost never hear about North Korea to be honest (I know that the rest of the world constantly talks about it), so I have to remind myself of the history and just be grateful that I can live my life so freely over here with the rest of this country. Hope you have a wonderful week, and take care!

[@misscaroline542]

Loved the intro with all the historical sights and information. 🇰🇷 And then seeing what the boarder land looks like. Looking forward to seeing the next episode! 🍀💜🌞

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks so much for watching @misscaroline542! It's pretty impactful to see what was left over from the Korean War, and definitely makes me appreciate my life here in South Korea. Take care!

[@misscaroline542]

@@lostthenfound Thank you! You too! 🌸

[@blackbelt2000]

"Groceries essential to my survival" 🤣🤣🤣 I am amazed at how much development there is so close to the DMZ.

[@lostthenfound]

Hahah I gotta admit that's the first section of the grocery store I went to after a long ride! 🤣 Also it's pretty insane how developed it is eh? The videos only show about half of it as the rest is all military facilities that can't be filmed, but it's interesting that so many people live around such a strong military presence as well!

[@MJones-xr6dp]

LTF, I have spent a bunch of time in Korea and have cycled along the Han river for approximately 15,000 miles. I am planning on returning to Korea this summer or next and watching these videos has inspired me to venture out (by cycle, of course) and see some of the places you have highlighted! I am definitely interested in the Seoul to Busan ride! Keep on doing what you do! Mike

[@lostthenfound]

Hey @MJones-xr6dp that's great to hear, thanks for the message! Also wow you have spent a lot of time cycling the Han, that's impressive! You should check out Seoul to Busan if possible. It's a really fun adventure, and it's awesome to head through all the different cities. Happy cycling and stay safe out there!

[@MJones-xr6dp]

@@lostthenfound I used to live near the Yongsan Army Post and would commute daily to my office at Seoul Air Base. Over the course of several years, the miles just added up! Perhaps we can go for a cycle when I get back. Keep up the good work! 수고하세요!

[@larrygoldstein718]

Thanks!

[@lostthenfound]

Hey @larrygoldstein718 thanks so much for your contribution again! That's incredibly generous of you to do so, and just want to let you know that you're helping us out a lot just by watching from time to time, so by doing this it's a massive support for us! Really appreciate it, and have a wonderful week!

[@howardlee7189]

Thanks for the show. Very entertaining. Regards

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks so much for watching and for the comments Howard! Hope all is going well on your end, and have an amazing week!

[@tangerine.3]

The landscape is so beautiful! Love your videos! :D

[@lostthenfound]

Wow @tangerine.3 thank you so much for your support! That's really generous of you, and it helps us a lot! Thanks so much for watching, and it's really beautiful around the Northern part of Seoul near the DMZ eh? Really lucky to be able to cycle it!

[@nonblocking]

한국에 40년 살지만 모두 처음보는 곳이네요. (대학생때 지역탐사 과제하러 연천군에 하루 간 기억만 있네요ㅎ) 확실히 북한강의 북적임과는 거리가 멀지만 DMZ에 접해있는 길이라 사뭇 의미있는 여행인듯 합니다. 덕분에 편하게 평화누리길 잘 구경했습니다! ps) 비포장도로가 많던데 포장이 더 잘되면 좋겠네요😊

[@lostthenfound]

@nonblocking님 또 후원하시고 시청해주셔서 감사합니다! 네, 맞아요. 그렇게 의미가 강한 여행이 될 줄 몰랐지만 DMZ 보는 자체는 제가 한국에서 (남한) 사는 것에 대해서 아주 감사하고 많이 생각했어요. 그리고 앞으로 평화누리자전거길은 인가가 더 많아지면 비포장도로를 많이 고칠 것 같아요. 그래도 아주 재미있었어요! @nonblocking님 항상 건강하시고 행복하세요! 😊

[@ALEX-cs6vo]

Chappaghetti IS a classy meal! On a bike trip to Jeju-do I cooked some up on the side of the road . Forgot chopsticks so I used two twigs from a dead tree. Voila. On the cross country bike trail I cooked some in a cheap but nice motel. Forgot chopsticks again, so I used the two complimentary toothbrushes (handle side, not the bristles). Bloody Bob's your uncle!

[@lostthenfound]

That's what I'm talking about Alex!! 👊 Chappeghetti for life! Cracked up at the toothbrush chopsticks too hahah! Gotta use whatever you have eh!

[@bikechingu]

Great video Matt! Very informative. I think 25,000won for a camping spot is too much. Good thing you decided to get the motel. Keep posting and ride safe!

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks so much Thoan! The other campsites up there were 60,000 KRW for a night which I couldn't believe! Why would anyone pay almost twice the price of a motel to camp haha. I guess they are all for families that are going to cook BBQ though. Happy and safe riding eh! Hope to see you out on the bike path someday!

[@user-ky6cp1bm3g]

Being 56 I would love to do this, even if it took longer, I have the time.

[@lostthenfound]

You should give it a go @user-ky6cp1bm3g! It's a really fun ride, and I think it's the perfect length as well!

[@Gemini19]

Loving these DMZ bike path videos! Also just to note, I was at Imjingak just recently and I remember that spot where you shot the Prayers for Unification things hanging on the fence had a sign near them saying not to record/take pictures of that direction because of that military guard post behind the fence. I don't want you to get in trouble for it so I thought I'd mention it just in case. Looking forward to more videos!

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks so much @Gemini19! Oh whoops I didn't see the sign. Hopefully since it's a closeup shot and you can't really see through them that well it's okay. I saw a lot of people filming it so I just assumed it was okay haha. I think on this trip I probably filmed a lot of things I wasn't supposed to, but I tried my best to respect the signs and just avoid filming the army facilities. It's a hard path to film videos for that reason!

[@Gemini19]

@@lostthenfound Yeah it was definitely difficult to know what was good to photograph or not. I didn't even see that sign at first either, but hopefully your video doesn't get noticed by whoever cares haha. Appreciate you doing videos of some of these lesser explored parts of Korea, I'm never really gonna be able to try going to these areas so it's still cool to see!

[@ICDeadPeeps]

You definitely found the "Master Sword" my friend :)

[@lostthenfound]

Hahaha glad you liked it @ICDeadPeeps! Sometimes I pretend I'm Link when I'm exploring the countryside by bike! 🤣

[@aletheia3]

"Groceries essential for my survival"! That's what I'm talking about! Nice video. Kind of bummed about the dirt roads tho... I'm a bit worried about your diet on these rides... Ramien and pizza are ruff on the body long term.

[@lostthenfound]

Hahah I'm a bad influence @aletheia3! 🍻 Thanks for watching too! Also yeah it's too bad that a lot of the path is a bit rougher. I think I'd recommend a mountain bike if possible. Also my wife cooks really healthy food most of the time, so when I'm on my own I'm a bad guy and eat the food that I've been craving that she doesn't like! 😈 Haha. Take care eh!

[@BasicStealthcamping]

really good video, the parts near the DMZ tour section were quite powerful seeing those relics and locations. Hey just a question I'm sure you have answered before and I probably missed, but how do you go with bikes and hotels in Korea? do most places have somewhere you can keep it overnight or do you just lock it to a post and hope for the best? Was just wondering about that, cheers

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks so much for watching @BasicStealthcamping! With bikes and hotels, I usually find a spot that's within view of CCTV (almost every place of Korea is), and I lock my bike to a post or sign that's out of the way if possible. Theft is pretty rare in Korea, but bike theft would be seen as the more common type of theft here when/if it happens. However, if you have an expensive bike, a lot of places will let you take your bike inside the room.

[@BasicStealthcamping]

@@lostthenfound thank you very much! i am renting a bike but will make sure i bring my U-lock along :) cheers

[@eliasorbon450]

Interesting juxtaposition between the campground and the general coldness you experienced (it almost felt like he doubted your Korean ability, though it may just be his nerves) vs. the warmth and kindness given by the older couple at the motel who felt more accepting and helpful. Sometimes I felt like older Koreans were more accepting of when I tried to speak Korean and in some ways treated me more kindly than their younger counterparts. Have you ever experienced that?

[@lostthenfound]

Ah yeah I can see that Elias. I think the elderly grew up in a world where people took care of each other a lot more (especially strangers), so they usually feel a lot warmer when interacting with them, even in unpredictable situations such as a random foreigner in a countryside town without them. A lot of younger people avoid interactions with each other (especially here in Korea), so sometimes their responses are a bit robotic and just trying to "cause the least amount of harm," but it comes off as uncomfortable sometimes for sure because too many assumptions are being made. I think that guy at the campsite was a bit flustered because he was pretty busy taking phone calls and dealing with customers on a Friday night, and he probably expected that I wouldn't be able to understand him, so he might have been worried that he would get behind. You're right that I almost never get this "panicky" response from the elderly though.

[@xit123456]

My family are loving your biking in Korea videos. We’re from Los Angeles and planning a trip to Seoul and Jeju-do in June. We usually prefer a guided bike tour of new cities we visit. Would you recommend of anyone that does that?

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks so much for watching @xit123456! I've never done a guided bike tour so I can't really comment on it, but I'm sure it would be a lot of fun! I'm sure it will give you more peace of mind to just enjoy the sights and you will probably see a lot more things.

[@lucasf03]

Hello friend, I liked video, amezing see this side the South Korea. Is It difficult to speak Korean?

[@lostthenfound]

Hello @lucasf03 thank you so much! Korean is one of the most difficult languages to learn and become fluent in, but it's not that hard to learn the simple things like how to say hello and order food and stuff like that. I've studied it for over 10 years and I still can't understand people sometimes! 🤣

[@lucasf03]

​@@lostthenfound ok, one day I'll learn Korean

[@good2goskee]

Hey Buds!.... Just saw our Nucks shut down the Oil. Pretty crazy here when an AWAY Game sells out the rink. Heading to Korea and Japan this Sept/October. Perhaps we can meet up and have a beer and chat about Vietnam. We went again this year. Cheers! (Go Canucks Go) Ps... Dude, we say Z (rhymes with ed) and Americans say Z (rhymes with pee;)

[@lostthenfound]

Hey man! Canucks are really blowing away all expectations right now! As soon as Demko went down, I thought we would lose the first series, and I'd be totally okay if we lost every game from this point on, as we have done so well already. Tonight's game is going to be huge too, let's go! Hahah don't worry I still say "zed" even after not living in Canada for over 10 years! 🤣 I just drop the "zee" when it's in a place name like the DMZ. Also hit me up on [e-mail] when you're coming here!

[@good2goskee]

@@lostthenfound Roger that! Snacks heating up and beers cooling down (t-1hr and 15min before puck drop) 9:18am KST (May 15)

[@lostthenfound]

Ended up being a rough game eh @good2goskee. I think all of Vancouver probably jumped up in excitement when Boeser put that goal in that deflected off the Oilers defense I think it was at 2 minutes left, just to lose the game 50 seconds later. It is what it is though. That's playoff hockey, and no matter what happens this season, the Canucks are going to walk away with some good experience! Just hoping Petey actually shows up...

[@good2goskee]

@@lostthenfound I'm actually not too worried about it. I called the loss all day and even when we tied it up with 1min 41sec left. My gut has been saying Nucks in 6. We will win the next 2

[@lostthenfound]

@good2goskee hope you're right! Waiting anxiously for the game right now! The Swede line is back together (Hogs/Lindholm/Petey) with Lindholm in the middle tonight, and Podz is back. Will be interesting to see how it all works out!

[@user-ky6cp1bm3g]

I like going to Korea without spending to much money but this is impossible bringing her?😂

[@lostthenfound]

@user-ky6cp1bm3g it's possible to be somewhat frugal while traveling through Korea. Stopping at kimbap restaurants to eat, and staying at cheaper motels can save a lot of money for sure!

[@user-ky6cp1bm3g]

What is the best bike path, where we won't ride uphill ? for a few days?

[@lostthenfound]

I would recommend the Bukhangang Bike Path. We covered an overview in this video (timestamped) if you want to check it out! kzbin.info/www/bejne/eX_YZWWnp6Z9has

[@dericmpark8381]

Thanks!

[@lostthenfound]

Thank you so much for your generosity and support @dericmpark8381! 😊

[@hjkim508]

Thanks!

[@lostthenfound]

Wow @hjkim508 thank you so much again for your generousity and support! You're helping us out so much, and just wanted to say how much we appreciate it! We'll use it as motivation to keep trying our hardest to make videos the best of our ability. Thank you so much for everything, hope you are happy and healthy, and take care!