Koreans have perceived Kŭmgangsan as their muse since well before the Middle Ages. Practically every poet and artist who lived during the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910) made a pilgrimage to Kŭmgangsan. The division of the Korean peninsula in 1950 resulted in the South Korean people finding themselves unable to visit this beloved mountain for the better part of 50 years. The barbed-wire fence erected as part of the DMZ (Demilitarized zone) separating the two Koreas proved to be an obstacle stronger than any other barrier.