S. Korea to open 3 trails leading to Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas

SEOUL, Apr 3, 2019, Yonhap. South Korea will open to the public three hiking trails leading to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas starting late this month as part of efforts to have visitors experience inter-Korean peace and the security situation on the Korean Peninsula, government officials said Wednesday, reported the Yonhap.

The trails, tentatively called the DMZ Peace Trails, involve the three inter-Korean border towns — Goseong, Cheorwon and Paju on the inter-Korean border’s eastern, central and western sections, respectively.

In the regions, South Korea has taken tension-reducing measures under a deal on Sept. 19 last year with North Korea that include removing some border guard posts and a joint project to excavate Korean War troop remains in the DMZ.

The DMZ, which is about 250 kilometers long and 4 km wide, is one of the world’s most heavily fortified borders, with the rival Koreas technically in a state of war as the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.

The trail project has been promoted by the interior, culture and tourism, unification, defense and environment ministries.

Late this month, the government will open the Goseong trail first as a pilot program before operating the walking tour permanently.

On the Goseong trail, visitors begin their trek from the Unification Observatory in Goesong on the east coast and walk along barbed wire fences before arriving at the Mount Kumgang Observatory inside the buffer zone. It also has another route in which visitors return to the Unification Observatory from the Mount Kumgang Observatory.

The Cherwon trail connects a monument on Baengmagoji Battle to a road along a barbed wire fence and a guard post of Arrowhead Ridge, a site of fierce battles in the 1950-53 Korean War.

In the Paju area, walkers start from the Imjingak Pavilion and tour a demolished guard post via the Dorasan Observatory.

The three trails are expected to be linked to government projects to make a trail crossing the peninsula along the buffer zone and to build a peace park inside the DMZ.

Visitors to the trails are protected by South Korean soldiers. The defense ministry is in talks with the U.N. Command to discuss measures to control their entries into the DMZ and ensure their safety.

The government will set a maximum number of people allowed to visit the trails, which will take into consideration military operations and environmental and ecological issues.

People wanting to walk along the Goseong trail can apply through the interior ministry’s website and the Korea Tourism Organization’s website starting April 11. The two government bodies will select successful applicants at random.

The government will invite the public to join a contest to help come up with the official name of the trails later this month.