Peace Trails

[Anchor Lead]

The so-called "peace trails" in the demilitarized zone will be open to the public later this month for the first time, since Korea's national division. The first trail that will see tourists is located in Goseong Gangwon-do Province. The other two trails, in Paju and Cheorwon, will be open later after additional discussions.

[Pkg]

The Unification Observatory in Goseong, Gangwon-do Province, offers a panoramic view of the east coast of the Korean Peninsula. A staircase leading to the beach right next to the wire fence is under construction as part of the DMZ peace trail project. The Goseong trail will span 7.9 kilometers, from the Unification Observatory and all the way to the Geumgangsan Observatory.
The central route will stretch from Baengma Hill to Hwasalmeori Hill in Cheorwon, Gangwon-do Province, while the western route will begin in Imjingak in Paju, Gyeonggi-do Province, and will stretch all the way to Daeseongdong Village inside the demilitarized zone.

[Soundbite] Kim Hyun-ki(Ministry of the Interior and Safety) : "Our long-term goal is to develop the trails into ecological and peace resources in the DMZ and nearby areas."

The government has decided to open to the public only the Goseong trail later this month, as it's located outside of the DMZ area. The trails in Paju and Cheorwon, which are included in the DMZ, will be opened later due to concerns over tourists' safety. The government added that it did not discuss the opening of the trails with North Korea, as they are located to the south of the military demarcation line, but did cooperate closely with the United Nations Command.

[Soundbite] Lee Jin-hyung(Ministry of National Defense) : "We inspected the sites jointly with the U.N. Command multiple times to choose the right areas. We will prepare bullet-proof vests and helmets that will be carried in security vehicles."

The government will decide when to open the Cheorwon and Paju trails after assessing the results of the pilot operation of the Goseong trail.