When I visited the Odusan Unification Observatory on September 11, 2024, I remember the outdoor area being quite hot. But when I visited again on November 21, 2025, the sky was clear and it wasn’t very cold. There was no ID check at the entrance, and admission was free.
Odusan Unification Observatory
Visited on November 21, 2025
Since I had already seen the indoor exhibitions last time, I skipped them and went straight to the outdoor observatory on the 4th floor. From there, I could see the Han River, the Imjin River, North Korean territory, and South Korean territory. The distance to North Korea is about 3 kilometers.
I didn’t see any signs saying photography was prohibited, so I took photos and recorded some videos — though there were limits to how much I could zoom in. It made me want to buy a high-performance digital camera, but I can’t afford one.
Looking through the telescope, I saw people on the North Korean side. I even saw someone walking. Who was that person, and why were they walking? I have no way of knowing. I couldn’t capture them on camera, but I liked that the fixed telescope could be used for free. I remember seeing a price label in small print — if I recall correctly, it cost several million won.
There were foreign visitors who appeared to be Japanese, also looking toward North Korea. That made me think it might be good to write in Japanese, but the problem is that I know almost nothing — maybe 1% — of the language.
If the Korean War had not broken out in 1950, the Odusan Unification Observatory likely wouldn’t exist.
Statue of Jo Man-sik
In the plaza stands a statue of Jo Man-sik. The statue has its back to the north. According to what I found, Jo Man-sik is believed to have died in North Korea during the Korean War. He was not a soldier.
Location of Odusan Unification Observatory
The road-name address of the observatory is Odusan Unification Observatory, 369 Pilseung-ro, Tanhyeon-myeon, Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do.
It is located where the Imjin River and the Han River meet before flowing toward the West Sea. You can see all of this scenery from the site.
There are parking attendants, and perhaps because visitors don’t stay very long, there tend to be available parking spaces.