Seoul: All 12 peace-themed walking routes near the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas will reopen this month, the government announced Wednesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in collaboration with related government offices, announced in a joint press release that the trails, collectively known as the DMZ Peace Trail, will be accessible from April 17 to November 30. However, operations will be temporarily halted in July and August due to the summer heat.
The trails, spanning across border cities and towns in Incheon, Gyeonggi, and Gangwon provinces, were established in 2019. They provide South Korean citizens a unique opportunity to explore the ecological, cultural, and historical significance of one of the world's most heavily fortified borders. Notably, three routes featuring sections inside the DMZ in Paju, Cheorwon, and Goseong had been closed to the public since April 2024 due to escalated tensions with North Korea. The DMZ, approximately 250 kilometers long and 4 kilometers wide, has divided the peninsula since the Korean War ended in an armistice in 1953, leaving the two Koreas technically still at war.
With the reopening, the government plans to increase the number of available operating days and participants this year to allow more people to experience the area. Access remains limited to South Korean nationals, who must register in advance via the official DMZ Peace Trail website (www.dmzwalk.com) or the Durunubi travel app. The participation fee is 10,000 won ($6.65) per person.