Okay, so the dolmen on the island is one of the major draws. It was also super homey and there was an actual sense of community, with neighbors greeting each other, etc. It was great to visit because the air was so clean and I thought it was great to see what Korea used to look like before there were so many apartment building skyscrapers. The island is separated from the mainland and can be reached by one of two bridges over the Han River, so it is becoming more like the mainland, but there are still prehistoric artifacts and sights and much of the island is not developed. North Korea is right across the channel on the north part of Ganghwa Island, so there are a few more uniformed military personnel than you will see in Seoul and other cities. The military officer had a long discussion with my friend's mom about it while my friend, her cousin, and I were sitting in the car. Just a few weeks prior, some North Korean defectors had been found hiding on the mountainside.Īnyway, you cannot go to DPRK from Ganghwa-do. North Korea is so close to Ganghwa that they have military checkpoints at the base of the mountain. She wanted me to see North Korea from one of the mountains on the island. I am always going to remember this day as the day my friend's mom tried to get me into North Korea. Even though it's technically in Incheon, it is kind of separate and the feeling of the community is really different, everyone is very welcoming and friendly. Her family lives in Ganghwa and wanted me to visit.
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