Khasan, Primorskiy Territory
 

Hi All

I'm planning on being in Russia's Far East late next summer (by 4WD) and am checking out a few places of interest to visit. One place that looks nice is the long sandy beach east of the town of Khasan, which is just north of the border with North Korea.

Does anyone know where the official border area begins? Would I need a permit to get to this beach?

Has anyone here applied for a border permit in Vladivostok?

Thanks

EO

Link to Border Zones in Primorsky Krai

https://c1.staticflickr.com/4/3702/3...2ad4e005_h.jpg

Looking at the list of Border Zone areas in my first link, everything south of the the Orange line on the mapis in the border zone, with the exception of Zarubino town (circled). If you were travelling on the main road to or from Zarubino from Vladivostok, you will be on a Federal Road (Since Zarubino is a recognised international border crossing point).

If you were not going to or from Zarubino ... you may have to have a border permit from the moment you cross the orange line

Thanks for the link :)

I think I will spend many evenings on that website.

Is it still necessary to apply for a border permit with a person local to the area?

Or could it be done in advance?

Cheers

EO

Hi
You won't find much information about this area for 1 simple reason???? NO ONE GOES THERE???
If the Russian Army don't arrest you then the North Korea Army will properly try and shoot you from across the border.

Here is a link to an RR about 1 English man and 1 Thai guy on motorbikes who in 2015 tried to ride about that area?

Link.........Chiang Mai, Thailand to Vladivostok, Russia - Page 11

Here is just a part of their very detailed report.

Quote:

This guy doesn't look happy and he's on his 2-way radio. I say to Jak, let's get out of here quick, Jak looks back and see's he has a strap all caught up in his back wheel, he has to turn the bike off and deal with it. By this time the Russian soldier with his loaded gun has come out of the gate and told me to turn my bike off. I say "no its ok where leaving", he says "no no no". Jak has this on his GoPro, I will get it from him. 2 minutes passes and a green Russian jeep comes from inside the Army base to the gate with 4x soldiers in it. They jump out looking very serious, we're not quite sure how much trouble we're in. They tell us to ride the bikes into the Army base. In the base parked right by the North Korean border, the soldier in charge, he has 3 stars on his shoulder, is making lots of phone calls. I manage to get a Russian guide who speaks English on the phone, its explained to him that we are in an illegal area, we will be fined and held for about 3 hours. They take our telephones and camera's, they then tell us to follow the jeep on the bikes back to Khasan town to the main Army HQ. We get to the gate of the Army HQ, jak's helmet with the GoPro on is freaking the boss out and they put Jak's helmet in the jeep. We are put into a training room and the soldiers all go off talking. Here's Jak in the Army HQ. All our particulars are taken, they have taken our passports. They want to know have we had any military training and who are we married too. There is then 2 hours of documentation, we have to write a statement why we were there, we wrote we wanted to see the most eastern and southern part of Russia and the North Korean border, that seemed to satisfy the boss. We then had to sign the statement on every page, all in Russian, we didn't know what we were admitting. We're told that a 1,000 Ruble / USD$ 15 had to be paid at the bank too

IF THIS REPORT IS NOT GOOD WARNING TO SAY OUT FROM THIS AREA THEN I DONT KNOW WHAT IS?.

If you stay North of the restricted area you could be ok

http://i1360.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5ztw0gec.jpg

From the Chinese side is ok and safe but you can't get to the sea China is land locked.
I have driven the bottom half of the border between China and Korea and hope to do the top half this year.

Link.....http://www.rideasia.net/motorcycle-f...ain-to-Dandong

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 :thumbup1:

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....4,203,200_.jpg

:rolleyes2:

Hence my reference to a border zone permit.

Thanks for the link (interesting read), but any idiot can wander into a restricted area and get into trouble (I have done it); I am looking for how to do it legally. I have no interest in seeing the inside of a military base. Even so, they didn't really get into trouble - looks like they were just made to fill out a border permit application and pay a processing fee.

And as for North Korean soldiers properly (probably?) shooting me across the border... do you think they shoot the Russians?? doh

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 :(

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 )

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

Let's just hope he has a safe trip?

NUFF SAID