Hwarangdae Railroad Station was closed in December 2010. Hwarangdae Station was a temporary railroad station built during the Japanese Colonial Rule in 1939. The original appearance has been well preserved however since it’s closure on December 21st, 2010 the building has been left abandoned. The paint is peeling, walls are starting to crack and the [...]]]>

Hwarangdae Station

Hwarangdae Railroad Station was closed in December 2010. Hwarangdae Station was a temporary railroad station built during the Japanese Colonial Rule in 1939. The original appearance has been well preserved however since it’s closure on December 21st, 2010 the building has been left abandoned. The paint is peeling, walls are starting to crack and the inside is gathering dust. It’s hard to think that this building was fully operational and a train station less than 6 months ago. The station was originally called Taereung Station but was renamed Hwarangdae Station after the Korean Military Academy was relocated near by. The station is on the Gyeongchun Line.

If you visit the Korean Military Academy I recommend you visit this station near by. You can feel the history from this station and imagine the people waiting at the platform for their train to arrive.

Here is a video of the station before it closed on December 21st, 2010. See below for photos.

How to get to Hwarangdae Station:
Take line 6 to Hwarangdae Subway station, leave exit 1 and head straight for 7 minutes.

View larger map

The Korean Military Academy is a great spot to visit and definitely off the the beaten tourist track. The Korean Military Academy is a prestigious academy famous for their strict regime, patriotism and high ranking graduates. The academy follows the motto: wisdom, integrity and courage. Until 1997 the Korean Military Academy was off limits to [...]]]>

Korean Military Academy

The Korean Military Academy is a great spot to visit and definitely off the the beaten tourist track. The Korean Military Academy is a prestigious academy famous for their strict regime, patriotism and high ranking graduates. The academy follows the motto: wisdom, integrity and courage. Until 1997 the Korean Military Academy was off limits to tourists but now it is open for all. The academy is huge but only select parts are open to tourists for security reasons.

The tour starts off at the visitors centre and the first stop is the Korean Army Museum which has a wide range of weapons on display alongside military treasures and documents relating to the Korean War. It is very interesting to visit and is almost deserted even at weekends.

The next stop is Hwa Rang Parade Ground. This is a enclosed field. It is here that all the ceremonies are held such as graduation, festivals, national holidays and the remembrance for the dead. Also, sports events such as horse riding. Scattered around the academy you will see statues of heroes who have died while serving their country. Also included is a statue of James A. Van Fleet a General of the United States Army who made outstanding contributions to improve U.S.-Korean ties.

Next there is a pond, park and picnic area. It is here that many local families stop by on the weekend to relax, have some food and let their children run free. Beside the park is the outdoor Weaponry Exhibition Area. Tanks, rockets, guns from both North Korea and South Korea used during the Korean War are on display here.

Finally we visited Memorial Hall Tower. Memorial Hall Tower is over 66 meters high and offers a stunning view of the academy and surrounding mountains and cities. On the first floor and basement floor of the building you can learn about the academy and students. This entails What they study, how they sleep to what clothing they wear. Unfortunately Memorial Hall was the last stop of the tour.

If you visit Korean Military Academy you must bring some form of identification. One per group is fine. I don’t think they are too strict as to what I.D as I gave my student card. It is also possible to visit the Korean Military academy and wander around by yourself. I visited on a Saturday and it was empty. This is a great spot to get some rest at the weekend, see some cool war exhibitions and learn some history.

Official site of the Korean Military Academy http://www.kma.ac.kr/english/

Opening Hours / Admission:
Open Monday ~ Sunday: 10:00 ~ 17:00

There is no admission and you are free to look around the academy by yourself. If you wish to join a tour they start at 10:00, 14:00 and 15:30. a Reservation is needed.

How to get to the Korean Military Academy:
The academy is quite far away from the station but if you wish to walk view the map below.
Take line 6 to Hwarangdae Subway Station, leave exit 4 and walk for 15minutes following the map below.
BUS:
Take line 6 to Hwarangdae Subway Station, leave exit 1 and take bus number #202, #1155, #1156, #1225 and get off at the Seoul Women’s University stop and the academy will be on your right.