DMZ PEACE TRAIL ATTRACTS TOURISTS

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The DMZ Peace Trail in Goseong, Gangwon-do Province has become a hot tourist spot, drawing more than 10,000 visitors in just four months since its opening. Also, the second phase of the Peace Trail project is scheduled to begin shortly.

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The DMZ Peace Trail in Goseong opened in late April. This new tourist destination with a walk along the 2.7-kilometer coastal fence provides scenic views of the East Sea and the demilitarized zone. Word of mouth attracted more than 10,000 visitors in just four months since the trail opened.

[Soundbite] JU HYEONG-DON(VISITOR) : "It's hard to make reservations. I want to come back again if I get a chance."

Authorities are also pushing for a project to build a special DMZ tourist zone in conjunction with the Peace Trail. The second phase of the Peace Trail project built around the Geumgangsan Observatory is scheduled to begin shortly. The northernmost observatory in South Korea will be remodeled with various amenities for visitors. It used to be opened only temporarily during holidays or for special occasions, but it will likely be operated all year round. Also, 1.6 billion won will be invested to turn a nearby building into a restaurant specializing in North Korean cuisine by early next year. Goseong County Office has secured 8.1 billion won in state funding to build a suspension bridge and a trekking trail from the Unification Observatory to the DMZ Museum.

[Soundbite] KIM CHANG-RAE(GOSEONG COUNTY OFFICIAL) : "We plan to invest KRW 26.9 bn to turn the entire area around the Unification Observatory into a peace tourism zone by 2022. The project will make use of the guard post inside the Civilian Control Line."

Goseong County also plans to develop DMZ tour programs to attract foreign visitors and hold a DMZ peace tourism week.