Paektusan Secret Camp, Military camp and museum in Samjiyon, North Korea.
Paektusan Secret Camp is a historic site containing preserved military structures built during armed resistance in the mountainous terrain near Mount Paektu. The grounds display original log cabins and barracks that remain largely intact from their period of use.
The camp served as headquarters for the Korean People's Revolutionary Army during resistance against Japanese occupation from 1937 to 1945. Following the end of occupation, the location was developed as a museum to preserve its military history.
North Korean state institutions connect this location to Kim Jong-Il's birth in 1942 as part of the national leadership narrative. Monuments throughout the site emphasize this historical connection that remains central to the country's official story.
Visitors require official authorization to reach the site, which is accessible between May and September. Access is arranged through chartered flights from Pyongyang to Samjiyon Airport in the mountainous region.
The site sits in a remote mountainous region that can only be reached under specific seasonal conditions, creating an exceptional degree of isolation. This remoteness has allowed the camp structures to remain in their original form largely undisturbed.
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