This small town of 200,000 people is nothing like a capital city. And yet, from 918 to 1394, it was a refined city from which the kings of Goryeo ruled their kingdom. After the transfer of the capital to Seoul and the various invasions and wars, not much of its former glory remains. Nevertheless, we can see the Seonggyunggwan Academy, founded in 992 and rebuilt after the invasions of 1592. Confucianism was taught there until an academy of the same name was founded in Seoul in 1398. It now houses the Goryeo (or Koryo) Museum, which exhibits objects of all kinds related to this kingdom. In the city, an old quarter has preserved traditional houses that can only be seen from a distance. We can still see the Sonjuk bridge built in 1216, the Songin monument which honours the scholar Jeong Mong-ju faithful to Goryeo and whom Yi Seong-gye, founder of Joseon, had murdered on the Sonjuk bridge, but also the 14th century southern gate (Nammun) housing an old bell, and the Sungyang seowon Confucianist Academy.At the end of the Second World War, when the two Koreas separated at the 38th parallel, the city south of this line was logically considered part of what is now South Korea. During the Korean War, the city was taken over by the North Korean army and then by the forces led by the United Nations in October 1950. It was not until the intervention of Chinese forces (regularly forgotten in the historical descriptions of the liberation of North Korea) in the conflict that the city came back under northern control until the end of the Korean War. Ceasefire negotiations took place in the city in July 1951 before being finalized in Panmunjeon, where the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is located. The armistice of July 27, 1953 recognized the sovereignty of the North over Kaesong, the only city to have moved from South to North control after the Korean War.Since 1953, the city's status has changed several times: in 1955, the city was placed under direct administration from Pyongyang to control the influence of the South and prevent possible revolts. In 2002, the city regained its relative independence with the creation of the Kaesong Special Economic Zone, during which two territories were withdrawn. It was not until 2003 that the direct administration of the city ceased: the entire geographical area of Kaesong, with the exception of the Special Economic Zone, which retained a special status, was integrated into North Hwanghae Province. The city, for a long time the capital of the kingdom, is today a "simple city" that still preserves the treasures linked to its history.Nearby are some royal tombs, such as the beautiful tomb of King Gongmin (1352-1374). One of North Korea's three most famous waterfalls, Bagyeon Falls, 37 m high, is still visible 24 km from the centre. From there you can access the Daehungsanseong fortress, the Gwaneumsa rock temple dating back to Goryeo and the Daehungsa temple.Another original getaway: Panmunjeom. This is the North Korean part of the village where representatives from the North and South meet for possible talks. Those who have gone south to this village will benefit greatly from going to the other side. Anyway, it is an edifying and even terrifying visit. We are then only 70 km from Seoul.The rapprochement between the two Koreas under the sunshine policy has resulted in the establishment of a special economic zone in Kaesong, in which South Korean companies can invest. Unfortunately, due to the current tensions, these activities are almost at a standstill.

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Pictures and images Kaesong 개성특급시

Kaesong. Hugues de Zélicourt
Une tombe royale de la dynastie Koryŏ. Dominique Auzias
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