Dongducheon - city in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

Dongducheon is a city of 95,000 people (2019) in Gyeonggi province, South Korea.

Understand

Dongducheon is a satellite city lying to the north of Seoul, within 40 km of its metropolitan area. It is adjacent to Pocheon to the northeast, Yangju to the west and south, and Yeoncheon County to the northwest. It consists of eight dongs (neighborhoods).

The city is strategically important for the defense of the Korean capital. It belongs to a military protection zone and has developed as a base village that grew rapidly since the Korean War. The main camps of the United States Second Infantry Division are in the city, and the division command is at Uijeongbu.

The Dongducheon area is where you can climb a mountain at any point because the entire city is surrounded by mountain ridges. The representative Soyosan mountain is good for hiking because the hiking trails are well maintained. As forests occupy most of them, you can find many valleys everywhere, and Tapdong Valley is considered one of the most beautiful vacation spots in all four seasons.

Climate

The city is characterized by a continental climate in the north and a temperate climate in the south with a large annual temperature difference, and especially in winter, the northwest seasonal wind is blowing, indicating fairly low temperature relative to its latitude. The average annual temperature is around 12°C, the average temperature in January is -2.4°C, and the average temperature in August is 25.4°C, with an annual temperature difference of more than 38°C. The precipitation is 1,028.1mm, the average annual relative humidity is 69.0%, and the sunshine time is 2,563.3 hours.

Get in

If you want to get in to the Dongducheon from the capital area, you must first go to Seoul by subway.

By subway

• Take Subway Line 1 and get off at either one of the following stations:
• Soyosan Station (#100), 2925, Pyeonghwa-ro, 37.948611°, 127.060833°. 2022-10-24
• Dongducheon Station (#101), 2687, Pyeonghwa-ro, 37.927778°, 127.054722°, +82 1544-7788. 2022-11-04
• Bosan Station (#102), 2539, Pyeonghwa-ro, 37.913611°, 127.057222°. 2022-11-04
• Dongducheonjungang Station (#103), 228, Dongducheon-ro, 37.902222°, 127.056389°. 2022-11-04
• Jihaeng Station (#104), 2285, Pyeonghwa-ro, 37.892222°, 127.055556°. 2022-11-04

Get around

Most buses in line No. 1 run once a day, so if you want to board, you must check in advance through Daeyang Transport or Gyeonggi Bus Information App.

Also, you can use Gyeonggi bus information service to check real-time bus service.

See

• Soyosan Mountain, 406-65, Pyeonghwa-ro 2910beon-gil (subway: Get off at Soyosan Station (Exit 1) on Line 1; bus: Get off at Soyosan Station such as No. 36 (Soyosan-Suyu Station), No. 39 (Jeongok-Dobongsan Station), and No. 53 (Jeongok-Deokjeong); car: National Route 3 (Entering Soyosan IC on National Route 3) → 500m right turn at Soyosan Intersection), 37.938512°, 127.079562°, +82 31-860-2065. A mountain spanning Dongducheon-si and Sinbuk-myeon, Pocheon-si, Gyeonggi-do. The height of the main peak of Uisangdae Pea is 587 m, and although it is a low mountain, it takes more than four hours to go around all the peaks. Individual: adult ₩2,000, youth ₩600, child ₩300; group: adult ₩900, youth ₩500 2022-10-10
• Tapdong Valley, 5 km from City Hall to Pocheon, Local Road No. 364 (Bus No. 50 or No. 60-3, get off in front of Gilson Restaurant), 37.892484°, 127.109491°, +82 31-86-55903. 24 hr. A 6-km-long valley running between Wangbangsan Mountain, 7 km east of Dongducheon City, and Guksabong Peak. Gwangam-dong and Wangbang Village are located in the area, and it was selected as a local heritage of Gyeonggi-do. The name 'Tap-dong' of 'Tapdong Valley' comes from the fact that there was a three-story stone pagoda that was built around the end of the Goryeo period. However, the three-story stone pagoda was lost during the Japanese colonial period, and only the stone Buddha that was placed there remains. 2022-11-04
• Do Dream Music Center, 42, Sangpae-ro 216beon-gil, 37.915813°, 127.056397°, +82 31-860-2726. M-F 09:00-18:00. The Dudream Music Center was launched in October 2017 through the K-Rock Village Project as part of the balanced regional development project in Gyeonggi-do. The first floor consists of a concert hall, the second floor consists of an exhibition hall, and the third floor consists of a recording and practice room. It is a concert hall with a practice room and a recording room, and you can use it. Free 2022-11-04
• Freedom Protection Peace Museum, 96-63, Pyeonghwa-ro 2910beon-gil (Soyosan Station on Metropolitan Subway Line 1; Bus no.36,39-1,3300,53,53-1,54,57,39-2), 37.942564°, 127.066125°, +82 31-860-3330. 09:00-18:00. It is a museum built to honor the will of those who sacrificed to protect their understanding of the forgotten Korean War and to promote friendship with U.N. participants. The museum is located in Soyosan Mountain, well known as the Salt River in Gyeonggi Province in Gyeonggi Province, where visitors can enjoy sightseeing and hiking. Free 2022-11-04
• North Gyeonggi Children's Museum, 46, Pyeonghwa-ro 2910beon-gil (Soyosan Station on Metropolitan Subway Line 1; Bus no.36,39,39-4,3300,50-5,51-12,53,53-3,53-4,53-5,53-12,54,54-1,57,57-1,33,33-1,39-2), 37.944737°, 127.064697°, +82 31-868-9610, ngcm@ggcf.or.kr. 10:00-18:00. The Gyeonggi Northern Children's Museum is a provincial museum that has an exhibition for children. In addition, performances, experiences, and seminars for children are held. 2022-11-04

Do

Festival

• Dongducheon Rock Festival, 45, Eodeung-ro, Dongducheon-si, 37.90069°, 127.071497°. It was born as a historical background of the city, which was responsible for the creation of Western culture with the presence of the 2nd U.S. Division at the end of the Korean War. It is also the longest-running music festival in the country since the first Dongducheon Rock Festival was held in 1999 based on the historical assets of the region, the birthplace of Korean rock. Free 2022-11-04
• Soyo Maple Culture Festival, 145, Pyeonghwa-ro 2910beon-gil, 37.946543°, 127.069349°. It is one of the representative festivals of Dongducheon, which began in 1986 to promote the beauty of autumn leaves and is held throughout Dongducheon-si and Soyosan Mountain at the end of October every year. 2022-11-04
• Dongducheon Arts Festival, +82 32-863-0351. Every November, eight affiliated organizations (Korean traditional music, literature, art, entertainment, music, theater, photographers, and filmmakers' associations) participate jointly, and various events such as various cultural and artistic performances and exhibitions are held. 2022-11-04
• Dongducheon Constellation Science Festival, 45, Eodeung-ro, 37.90069°, 127.071497°. The Dongducheon Constellation Science Festival, hosted by Dongducheon City and organized by the social organization Eosoo Association, is held annually at the Dongducheon Sports Complex at the end of September. It is divided into competitive fields, experience and exhibition fields, and science exploration fields to instill great dreams and hopes for science to teenagers. Free 2022-11-04

Buy

• Dongducheon Jungang Market (東豆川中央市場), 609-27, Saengyeon-dong, 37.907686°, 127.053717°, +82 31-861-6938. Dongducheon Jungang Market was naturally opened in 1967 when it moved from Dongducheon-dong, the center of Dongducheon-si, to Saengyeon-dong, and the market was formed mainly for daily foods, primary foods, and processed foods. 2022-11-04
• Dongducheon Jeil Market, 823-223, Saengyeon-dong, 37.903693°, 127.051659°, +82 31-866-5372. Jeil Market has been opened since 1960 by coexisting with a nearby large market, and mainly deals with clothing, and stores such as furniture and shoes have been opened. 2022-11-04
• Dongducheon Keun Market, 52, Keunsijang-ro (Dongducheonjungang Station on Metropolitan Subway Line 1), 37.900352°, 127.052154°, +82 31-859-1233. The Keun Market has been opened naturally since 1960 by bartering food produced by farmers in nearby areas, and up to five days of wholesale and retail trade and barter of agricultural and livestock products have been in operation. 2022-11-04
• Dongducheon Yankee Market, 6-1, Eosu-ro 83beon-gil, 37.903007°, 127.052013°. The Yankee Market in Dongducheon is full of unique clothes, hats, and equipment worn by special forces personnel in movies, and it is an interesting market just to look around. In the 1960s, when the local economy of Dongducheon was revitalized around the 2nd Infantry Division, stores and entertainment establishments that mainly sold supplies and imports of U.S. troops were concentrated around the market, but now campers are flocking to buy equipment. 2022-11-04

Eat

• Lake Restaurant Main Store, 312, Jungang-ro (in front of Seoul Hospital after 300 m intersection from Dongducheon Terminal toward Bosan-dong), 37.9091°, 127.0509°, +82 31-865-3324. M-F 09:00 - 21:30, closed on the 2nd and 4th Sundays every month. It was introduced in "The Three Great Kings of Jongwon Baek, Budaejjigae". ₩9,000-10,000 2022-12-09
• Pyeongnam Myeonok, 127, Saengyeon-ro (604 m from Exit 1 of Dongducheon Central Station), 37.9038°, 127.047°, +82 31-865-2413. 11:30 - 21:00. Pyeongnam Myeonok, a cold noodle restaurant that serves buckwheat and dongchimi. You can enjoy the same menu in all four seasons, including Pyongyang-style cold noodles with 40 years of tradition, spicy seasoned spicy cold noodles, seasoned field that you can't eat anywhere, and Pyeonyuk boiled with rice straw and juicy. ₩10,000 2022-12-09
• Songwolgwan, 28-10, Keunsijang-ro (in front of Dongducheon Tax Office after turning left at Yurim Intersection when passing through downtown Dongducheon on National Road 3, which is called Pyeonghwa-ro from Uijeongbu), 37.9009°, 127.0508°, +82 31-865-2428. 11:30 - 21:00. Songwolgwan is a 100-year-old store that has been loved by customers for more than 30 years, and has been officially certified by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups for its excellence and growth potential. ₩2,000-28,000 2022-12-09
• Hot pizza & Burger, 210-27, Sangpae-ro (after parking in the public parking lot, face the public movie theater, go straight through the stage along the 11 o'clock direction, and go to the store about 50 m to the left; gor those who come from Bosan Station, come out from Exit 1 and go up 500 m in the direction of Soyosan Mountain to find the store), 37.917°, 127.0522°, +82 31-865-6888. Daily 12:00-15:00, 17:00-22:00 (21:00 last order). ₩25,000~ 2022-12-09

Drink

• Pine Hill Coffee House, 65-34, Anheung-ro (take a call taxi from Exit 2 of Dongducheon Station on Line 1 (031-858-6716); on the uphill road after arriving at 42-174 Anheung-dong), 37.924205°, 127.039981°, +82 70-8860-5084. 11:00-22:00. The quiet natural scenery and relaxation with professional barista coffee, British scone by professional patissier, French Black Tea, and cake macaroons in the garden of 66,116 m². 2022-10-10
• Oreum, 675-22, Cheonbosan-ro, 37.8892°, 127.0792°, +82 507-1480-1492. Daily 11:00-15:00, 17:00-22:00. 'Oreum' is a brunch cafe. You can enjoy a variety of brunch menus such as drinks, pasta, pizza, and risotto. ₩8,000-22,000 2022-12-09
• Wangbangjigi, 3, Tapdonggasan-ro, 37.8896°, 127.126°, +82 31-867-5249. 11:00 - 20:00 (19:30 last order). It is a cafe with a valley in front of Dongducheon Natural Recreation Forest. ₩5,500-7,000 2022-12-09
• Cafe Authentic, 697, Cheonbosan-ro (next to Josangyo Bridge in Tapdong-dong), 37.8915°, 127.0856°, +82 507-1390-9601. M-F 11:00 - 22:00, Sa Su 10:00 - 22:00. A healing cafe with a vintage atmosphere that blends three attractive spaces and a wide outdoor area. Dark and fragrant coffee, carefully made homemade drinks, and various desserts go well together. It has been in the same place in Dongducheon for a long time, providing comfort with an interior that is not seen anywhere. ₩4,000-15,000 2022-12-09

Sleep

• Saea Resort, 1665-12, Samyuksa-ro, 37.890933°, 127.133088°, +82 31-863-7777. Check-in: 15:00, check-out: 11:00. Single house, private barbecue, double room, family room, swimming pool, barbecue place, Wi-Fi, public facilities, new construction, grass. ₩140,000-275,000 2022-10-10
• Dongducheon Hotel the Gray, 246, Jungang-ro, 37.903533°, 127.054312°, +82 26 105 7115. Check-in: 17:00, check-out: 11:00. If you stay at Dongducheon Hotel The Grey, you can go to Soyosan Mountain and Jeongok Prehistoric Museum by car for about 15 minutes. It is 12.3 km from the hotel to the lighting museum, and 14.7 km away is the Sinbuk Resort Springfall.Typical amenities and services include a 24-hour front desk, luggage storage, and elevators. Free self-parking is available in the facility. Each of the 48 different styles of interior is equipped with refrigerators and flat-screen TVs, so you can stay comfortably. You can watch satellite TV. A private bathroom with shower facilities has free toiletries and a bidet. Facilities/services include an electric kettle and free tea bag/instant coffee, and room cleaning services are available daily. ₩50,000-100,000 2022-11-04
• Dongducheon Kkumegeurin (Dongducheon Kkumegeurin Motel / Kkumegeurin Dongducheon / Kkumegeurin Motel Dongducheon), 788, Samyuksa-ro (68 minutes by car to Gimpo International Airport (GMP) (62.7 km), 20-minute drive to Yeoncheon Hantangang Station (13.4 km), 23-minute drive to Yeoncheon Station (24.5 km), 29 minutes drive to Munsan Station (31.4 km), 22 minutes walk to Dongducheon Central Station (1.8 km), 27 minutes walk to Bosan Station (2.2 km), 28 minutes walk to Jihaeng Station (2.3 km)), 37.906016°, 127.039817°, +82 31-865-0073. Check-in: 17:00, check-out: 12:00. ₩40,000 - 110,000 2022-11-04
• Dongducheon Cima (Dongducheon Cima Motel), 9, Jungang-ro 274beon-gil (Bosan Station on Line 1, Dongducheon Central Station on Line 1), 37.905967°, 127.054695°, +82 31-865-8144. Check-in: 18:00, check-out: 13:00. Spa and whirlpool, restaurant, Wi-Fi, breakfast service, luggage storage, parking available· Rooms with unique interior and valuable equipment are being prepared. ₩50,000-65,000 2022-11-04

Go next

You can go to Pocheon-si, Yangju-si or Yeoncheon-gun.