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Q. I’m a nature tourist and also an avid history buff curious about Korea’s past. Can you recommend a program or tour that explores Korea’s pristine nature and also teaches about its modern history?

A. You should take advantage of the DMZ Peace Trail. It consists of several themed routes that cover 526 km through different cities and counties in Incheon Metropolitan City and the provinces of Gyeonggi-do and Gangwon-do.  

Starting November 20, three themed routes in Gimpo, Goyang and Paju opened to tourists (total length: 87.2 km).

The DMZ Peace Trail was created in 2019 along the heavily fortified military demarcation line following the inter-Korean summit held between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong-un. Each route has its own itinerary.

In Paju, for example, tourists can watch migratory birds and explore South Korea’s Freedom House inside the Joint Security Area of Panmunjeom – where the tour begins.  

As its name suggests, the DMZ Peace Trail was designed to promote peace between the two Koreas. Revitalizing the local economy is another goal as a tourism boom will have a trickle-down effect on the cities, counties and neighborhoods along the routes. 

The DMZ Peace Trail offers a unique opportunity for tourists to explore Korea’s pristine nature as the Demilitarized Zone, the area between the heavily fortified borders separating the two Koreas, is a reservoir of biodiversity with a rich ecosystem. The trail is also historically important. Tourists can visit several sites that conjure the Cold War that still lingers on the Peninsula.

Tour applicants must be fully vaccinated, and participants are chosen through a draw. Tours are available five days a week.

**“Ask Us about Korea” is a Q&A section about Korea and Korean culture. If you have any relevant questions, please send us an email (KOCIS@korea.kr). We’ll choose one of the questions sent by our readers and answer it in this section.**