I was recently reading Nomonhan (battle of Khalkin Gol) and the Battle of Lake Khasan between the Imperial Japanese Kwantung Army and the Soviets in summer 1938 was a key prelude.

Great book by the way... recommended

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Thanks for the reference

In 2010 I was in the east of Mongolia with a friend. We had camped up Mt Shilin Bogd on the Dariganaga Volcanic Plateau (amazing place) which was in a restricted border zone (for which we didn't have permits). We then were heading east to reach Khalkin Gol and the Nomrog Reserve, when we were detained by the police in Erdenetsagaan. Nobody at the police station spoke English or Russian so I wasn't really sure what was going on, but after a couple of days and a call to the British Embassy it transpired that there was a total ban on movement due to an outbreak of foot and mouth and possibly anthrax (i.e. nothing to do with the border zone).

My visa was running out so I had to drive straight back to UB and into Russia, but I then re-entered at Erentsav, but the quarantine measures were still in place, meaning I had to drive straight to Choibalsan. I dud get to drive my truck into a gas chamber, have it fumigated, and then put a Russian gas mask on and drive it out again.

But I never got to Khalkin Gol

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EurasiaOverland a memoir of one quarter of a million kilometres by road through all of the Former USSR, Western and Southern Asia.

South Korean tourist shot dead in North Korea

A North Korean soldier shot and killed a South Korean tourist who wandered into a restricted zone today, casting a shadow over hopes of a resumption of bilateral talks between the two sides of the divided peninsular.

The fatal shooting at the Mount Kumgang resort this morning coincided with a breakthrough offer by the South Korean president, Lee Myung-bak, to resume dialogue and provide food aid to the North.

According to the Seoul-based Yonhap news agency, the soldier opened fire on the 53-year-old woman tourist surnamed Pak after she crossed into a military area.

It appears to be the first killing of a civilian at the Kumgang resort, which has been visited by more than a million South Korean tourists since it opened in 1998.

The resort is operated by a South Korean company - Hyundai Asean - but the staff in the shops, hotels and golf course are from the North.

Located just north of the divided border, it is also a strategically sensitive area and close to a large military presence.

South Korea's unification minister, Kim Ho-nyeon, told reporters the woman was warned to stop and ran away before the soldiers opened fire.

The government in Seoul has suspended tourism trips to Kumgang pending the results of an investigation into the incident.

The political fallout is unclear, but the shooting comes at an awkward time for the South Korean president, who has just started to soften the hardline stance he adopted after taking power earlier this year.

In a speech to parliament this morning, Lee proposed new talks with Pyongyang and said he would honour commitments made by his predecessor.

"Full dialogue between the two Koreas must resume," Lee said. "The South Korean government is willing to engage in serious consultations on the implementation of previous agreements."

His speech was a change of tack from his previous comments. After becoming president in February, Lee said he would review existing deals to decide which were worth implementing.

This infuriated North Korea, particularly at a time when international aid agencies warn the country is threatened again with food shortages because of last year's floods.

The softening of Lee's stance coincides with a plunge in his popularity, partly because he has moved closer to the United States and put distance between the South and the North.

For the past two months, demonstrators have taken to the streets almost daily over Lee's decision to resume imports of US beef. The president is now backtracking on the decision and has replaced three cabinet ministers.

Everything is possible from these guys.


Link source......https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/jul/11/korea

I wait to hear back from you later in the year about how you got on.
You must understand the North Koreans have in the passed crossed over mainly to China and kidnapped people to hold them for Ransom.
And yes, I can't see them shooting Russia you don't bite the hand that feeds you?

I live 200 Km away from Dandong look it up? so take it from me all the border areas bordering North Korea do hold many dangers ok and western people are not welcome other than places like Dandong but you will soon find out for yourself.


Even the best makes mistakes DID ?? LOL

Well, if I reduce it to this things:

But in fact, this posting gets politically and has nothing to do with what the treadstarter asked ( my opinion )

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www.klausmotorreise.com

Yes for sure he was only asking about Permits and Border Zones?

Let's just hope he has a safe trip?

NUFF SAID