Best Drives in Korea #3

Another great drive that is near Seoul is to head northwest to Kangwha-do island. The island has served for centuries as the refuge for the Korean royal family when the country was attacked by foreign powers such as the Mongols 750 years ago. Additionally the island has served as the place of first contact with western seafaring powers due to its location on the mouth of the mighty Han River.

Fortunately for you there are no more Mongol invaders to worry about and the island has turned into a rich agricultural area with clean air, great views, and an interesting history.

Getting to the island is relatively easy from Seoul. Just get on highway 48 heading northwest from Seoul and just follow that highway all the way up the Kimpo peninsula and cross over the bridge to the island. As you approach the bridge, keep you eyes open and scan the surrounding hill sides for evidence of the ancient walls and fortifications that once protected these inlet to the Han River. The first city you approach when you cross the bridge on to the island is the city of Gangwha itself. The city is famous across Korea for it’s herbal ginseng roots and accordingly has shops and markets throughout the town that caters to herbal shoppers. Additionally the city also contains the the palace the Korean royal family called home on numerous occasions during Korea’s long history that is worth checking out.

After you decide to leave the city of Gangwha you can continue west on highway 48 through fields of green farmland all the way to the Yellow Sea coast and get some great views of the South Korean islands of Gyodong-do and Seongmo-do that lie out near the maritime DMZ. Those who are little more adventurous can decide to take a side road north and reach the northern coast of the island and get some views of North Korea that lies just across the water from Gangwha-do. Some ROK soldiers may not allow you into certain areas, but if you have a military ID and some Korean proficiency you may be able to talk them into letting you check out some areas you normally could not see. However, whatever you do, do not take any pictures. The soldiers will descend on you rather quickly if they see you pull out a camera.

View from the west coast of Gangwha-do Island. Ferry boats can take you from here to other near by islands.

Another area to check out is instead of heading west on 48 at Gangwha; go south on highway 84 instead. Highway 84 will once again take you through more fertile farmland and the lush green hills of Gangwha-do island. Follow the signs to Gwangseongbo that lies on the east side of the island. Gwangseongbo is an old fortification that was used to defend the island from maritime attack. This fortress is most well known in Korea for being the place of first contact between the US and Korea. To make a long story short, a misunderstanding led to the US Marines attacking and occupying the island in 1871 which ultimately led to Korea signing a friendship treaty with the United States. Click here to learn more about the American Campaign of 1871 in Korea.

Gwangseongbo Fortress on the east coast of Gangwha-do Island.

For those who want to do more than just drive around the island; hikers can always take the relatively easy hike up Manisan mountain on the south side of the island. The mountain is 469 meters high and the summit of the mountain contains an ancient Korean alter.

The entire trip to see all the sights on Gangwha-do from Seoul will take an entire day. Usually the roads into Gangwha-do are not to busy unless it is a Korean national holiday then all bets are off as all the masses from Seoul are descend on the countryside. So get out and enjoy the green hills and history of Gangwha-do Island.