The Korean government will reopen the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) hiking trail, the section of Paju City (Gyeonggi Province) from November 28. This sightseeing route was temporarily closed on September 19 last year to prevent African swine fever (ASF).
The Paju DMZ hiking trail is the path that starts from the Imjingak Pavilion through the Imjin River ecological walkway, the Dora observatory, a demolished guard post, and then back to Imjingak.
Visitors who desire to visit this road can register on the homepage of the "DMZ Peace Road" (https://www.durunubi.kr/dmz-main.do) of the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) or the DMZ homepage (https://www.dmz.go.kr/english) of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety since November 13. One person can register up to 4 accompanying people, then there will be a lottery selection.
Before reopening this road, the Korean government had set up barriers to block boars, placed disinfectant equipment for people and vehicles to prevent the African swine fever, and completed inspections among relevant departments.
However, to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of visitors was reduced from 20 to 10. The government set up specific prevention rules when visiting, such as wearing a mask, enforce strict social distancing.
The Korean government plans to reopen the DMZ Peace Road, which crosses Goseong and Cheorwon districts (Gangwon Province) in early 2021 after completing work on African swine fever and cross-sector joint testing.
During the last year, until before its temporary closure, about 15,000 residents visited the "DMZ Peace Road" which runs through Goseong, Cheorwon and Paju city districts.
