Biryong

A North Korean military guard post in the mountains photographed from the Biryong Observatory near Paju.

The second image explains what you can see: the guard post itself, a North Korean flag that doesn't fly for lack of wind, and a giant loudspeaker broadcasting propaganda or annoying noises to the South (the South Koreans counter with k-pop - and also old Korean folk songs to appeal to all generations).

There are many North Korea observation points south of the DMZ, with more or less access restrictions depending on what the South Korean Army division holding the sector decides. On the western frontline, near Seoul, where most of the so-called ‘DMZ Tours’ go, you can do pretty much what you like as long as you don't defect to the Worker’s Paradise or jump into a minefield. But the further east you go, the more complicated things get.

The Biryong Observatory receives few visitors. To make it here, you need to request authorization seven days in advance, be escorted at all times by South Korean military personnel, and it's forbidden to take photos.

After some negotiations, I was finally permitted to take ONE single picture of the North Korean side, which was reviewed by our military minder before I was allowed to keep it. Here it is!

The view from Biryong is less interesting than the ones from many observatories near Seoul where anyone can go freely. The mountain landscape is beautiful, but you can't see much of life in the North. The South's fortifications along the ridge are by far more dramatic, but photographing them is a big no-no.
To shoot this mundane DPRK guard post, I used a 500mm Tamron super telephoto zoom, my Fujifilm X-T5's built-in x2 teleconverter, as well as some AI denoising, for a very dull result. Without such a heavy gear or some powerful binoculars, you'll see nothing. But getting this far and managing to shoot THE single legal picture was an experience in itself.

Military escort to the Biryong Observatory.