Resumption of DMZ Cultural and Natural Heritage Survey in Jangdan Myeon, Paju

Investigation of 30 Sites Including Goseong's Northeasternmost Surveillance Post and Geonbongsan Natural Reserve by July

The Cultural Heritage Administration's National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage will conduct the first field survey of this year on the cultural and natural heritage of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) from today (23rd) until the 26th. Together with the Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation and the Gangwon Cultural Heritage Research Institute, they will assess the preservation status of the old Jangdan-myeon Office in Paju, the old Jangdan Station site on the Gyeongui Line in Paju, and the Death Bridge at Jangdan Station on the Gyeongui Line in Paju.

The Cultural Heritage Administration and the provinces of Gyeonggi and Gangwon have been investigating about forty sites of DMZ cultural and natural heritage since May last year. Last year, they conducted seven rounds of field surveys on eleven locations, including Daeseongdong Village in Paju, the Joint Security Area at Panmunjom, and the natural protected areas of Hyangrobong and Daewoo Mountain. An official stated, "We achieved various results, such as recovering Paleolithic stone tools in Daeseongdong Village."

The Jangdan-myeon area in Paju, which is being surveyed this time, retains traces of a modern city that disappeared during the Korean War. The survey will include the preservation status of the old Jangdan-myeon Office in Paju, the old Jangdan Station site on the Gyeongui Line in Paju, and the Death Bridge at Jangdan Station on the Gyeongui Line in Paju, as well as 3D scanning. Archaeological investigations will also be conducted on nearby beacon mounds, fortresses, and artifact scatter sites.

The Cultural Heritage Administration will also carry out field surveys on about thirty sites, including the northeasternmost observation post in Goseong, Gangwon Province, the natural protected area of Geonbongsan, and the Namgang river area, until July. An official said, "The survey results will be used as basic data for promoting cultural heritage designation and registration, conducting detailed in-depth investigations, as well as for the joint registration of the DMZ as a World Heritage site by North and South Korea and for establishing a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula."