‘DMZ Peace Walk’ event to mark ceasefire of Korean War

Gyeonggi Province announced on Sunday that it would hold the ‘DMA Peace Walk’ event in Imjingak Pyeonghwa Nuri Park in Paju on May 20 to mark the 70th anniversary of the ceasefire of the Korean War.

The event will be held on a 9.1-kilometer course starting from Imjingak Pyeonghwa Nuri Park through the southern end of the Unification Bridge, Eco Museum, and the observatory of Chopyeong Island to the Yulgok wetland park. It offers a rare opportunity to walk beyond the DMZ and the civilian access control line. Photo spots on a footbridge will be set up on the course, and the participants will be able to enjoy the performance of traditional Korean musical instruments, gayageum, and haegeum.

An outdoor concert will be held in Imjingak Pyeonghwa Nuri Park, and a promotion hall for millennials and Gen Z, an experience center to taste North Korean food, a vendor to buy local specialties, and an exhibition hall for ecological pictures will be set up. Gyeonggi Province will receive applications from 1,000 participants on its website (dmzpeacerun.kr) by March 15 on a first come, first served basis. The participants must pay 10,000 won for entrance and will receive environment-friendly bags made of recycled materials.

The province will also operate the ‘DMZ peace train’ that departs from Anyang station at 9 a.m. on the day of the event to Imjingang station through Seoul station and Munsan station. “We’d like to offer an opportunity for people to learn and experience the values of the DMZ in terms of ecology and peace,” said Cho Chang-beom, the head of the Peace and Cooperation Bureau of Gyeonggi Province.


lkj@donga.com