Ten touring routes for the DMZ Peace Trail program this year will begin April 18, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said Friday.

The government-led tour on the demilitarized zone, or the DMZ, is held in cooperation with numerous ministries, including the Culture Ministry, Ministry of Unification, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of the Interior and Safety and Ministry of Environment.


The tours will be held across Ganghwa in Incheon; Gimpo, Goyang, Paju and Yeoncheon in Gyeonggi; and Cheorwon, Hwacheon, Yanggu, Inje and Goseong in Gangwon.

Each tour requires visitors to travel by car but may be allowed to walk in certain routes along the border area, surrounded by barbed wire, under supervision. A guide will lead each tour and explain the history and ecosystem behind each region.

“The government anticipates that the tours will revive tourism and the economy along the DMZ border area, which has seen a decrease in population and underdevelopment,” the Culture Ministry said in a press release.

Another goal is that the tour will aid in commemorating “the sacrifice made by the countless heroes to achieve the freedom and peace today,” according to the ministry.

Reservations in advance are necessary and can be made through the DMZ Peace Trail website or the Durunubi mobile app, which began Friday. Participants, selected on a first come, first served basis, will need to undergo an ID check and pay a 10,000 won ($6.80) entry fee on the day of the tour.

Tours will be held a few times a week and last well into November. Each slot only accepts 20 people.

BY SHIN MIN-HEE [shin.minhee@joongang.co.kr]