Republic of Korea Passport - Inter-Korea Travel

Inter-Korea Travel

The Republic of Korea's constitution considers the Democratic People's Republic of Korea as part of its territory, although under a different administration. In other words, the South does not view going to and from the North as breaking the continuity of a person's stay, as long as the traveler does not land on a third territory.

However, because of the political situation between the South and the isolated communist government of North Korea, it is almost impossible to enter the North from the South across the Korean DMZ (Exiting from South Korea via the northern border). Tourists wishing to enter North Korea should pass through another country, and most of them almost enter from the Chinese border, because the frequent flight to/from Pyongyang will mostly be served in Beijing.

South Koreans who want to visit North Korea will be issued North Korean visa in the separate paper, not in the Korean passport. The nationality will be written as South Korea, but the Republic of Korea passport is not valid for the immigration in North Korea. Koreans who are the permanent resident of Japan can be issued North Korean passport.

Meanwhile, In 1998, visa-free travel to the tourist resort of Mount Kumgang and the Kaesong Industrial Region was made possible under the "sunshine policy" orchestrated by South Korean President Kim Dae-jung. Those wishing to travel across the DMZ were given special travel certificates issued by Ministry of Unification or the travel agency, known as the Hyundai-Asan Corporation. As of March 2010 all travel across the DMZ has now been suspended due to increasing tensions between North and South Korea. In July 2008, a female tourist named Park Wang-ja was shot to death by a North Korean guard on a beach near Mount Kumgang.

There are 4 border chceckpoint in South Korea, for use of inter-Korea travel.