Operation started on May 30, 2002... Breakthrough after 22 years
Korean Park So-young and Dutch Jens Olsen win the luck
Paju City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Kim Kyung-il) announced on the 15th that the cumulative number of tourists visiting the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) through the 'Paju DMZ Peace Tourism' has surpassed 10 million.
Paju City is celebrating the 10 millionth visitor of the 'Paju DMZ Peace Tourism' by presenting a bouquet of flowers. Photo by Paju City
On the 8th, Park So-young, a resident of Incheon, and Jens Olsen, a Dutch national, were the lucky 10 millionth tourists. To commemorate this, the city presented the two with congratulatory bouquets and DMZ souvenirs, including DMZ barbed wire.
Park So-young, a Korean, expressed her feelings, saying, "Due to the influence of my grandparents who are from North Korea, I have always had a strong interest in the northern border area. I visited to show the foreigner Jens Olsen the world's only divided country, and I am very happy to receive this unexpected gift."
Meanwhile, the DMZ Peace Tourism has been jointly operated by the 1st Division, the Veterans Association, and Paju City since May 30, 2002. Achieving 10 million cumulative tourists took about 22 years since the first day of operation. This means that on average, more than 450,000 people have visited annually.
Notably, among the 10 million tourists, foreigners accounted for 5.08 million, more than half. Also, last year, among major tourist spots in Gyeonggi Province, DMZ Peace Tourism ranked second in foreign visitors following Everland, solidifying its status as a world-renowned tourist destination.
This year, Paju City invested 230 million KRW of city funds to introduce an online reservation system for 'DMZ Peace Tourism.' They have actively promoted tourism projects to improve convenience and diversity, including resuming the Dorasan shuttle train connection program. As a result, despite difficult security conditions, the number of visitors in 2024 increased by about 10% compared to the same period last year. It is estimated that this year will surpass 400,000 visitors.
Meanwhile, Paju City announced plans to hold a ceremony on the 26th at the Imjingak Korea Ecological Peace Comprehensive Tourism Center, together with related organizations such as the 1st Division and Paju Urban Tourism Corporation, to share and celebrate the growth process of DMZ Peace Tourism in commemoration of surpassing 10 million cumulative tourists.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
