Published on : Thursday, August 23, 2018
It is believed as one of the most beautiful natural sites in North Korea and is still active.
Even though, there haven’t been any big eruptions in recent times
It’s respected in entire North for its association to the ruling Kim family and is believed to be the spiritual home of the Korean revolution. Trips to the mountain are quite well-known with North Koreans who visit with their schools, work units or other social groups on excursions that are part indoctrination and part recreation. Also, it’s pretty popular with Chinese visitors and smaller international tour groups who can stay in nearby hotels and can walk straight up to its crater to witness the blue waters of Lake Chon in Paektu’s caldera.
However, Roger Shepherd, founder of Hike Korea, which is based in the South, succeeded in convincing North Korean government officials to allow him to take his guests off the beaten path for the first time.
The area in and around the mountain has many reconstructed “secret campsites” which are said to have been utilized by national founder Kim Il Sung and his guerrillas in the fight against the Japanese colonial rulers before 1945. This is a possible reason why the thought of allowing a foreign camping excursion clicked with the local authorities.
Tags: north korea