Kim Dongyeon Attends 'Unification Walk' in Paju: "Hope 13 Days Inspire Reflection on Peace and Ecology"

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dongyeon stated on July 28 at the Gyeonggi Dullegil 'Unification Walk' departure ceremony held at Imjingak in Paju, commemorating the 80th anniversary of Liberation this year, "I hope this will be an opportunity to reflect on peace and ecology."

This event, co-hosted by 56 National Assembly members including Representative Lee Inyoung, is a peace and unification march along the Gyeonggi Dullegil, starting from Imjingak in Paju and ending at the DMZ Museum in Goseong, Gangwon Province.

At the departure ceremony held at Mangbaedan in Imjingak, Governor Kim Dongyeon said, "This is already the ninth Unification Walk since it began in 2017," and added, "I believe this served as a seed that led to the 2018 Pyeongchang Peace Winter Olympics the following year, and also laid the foundation for the April 27 Panmunjom Declaration and the September 19 Pyongyang Declaration."

Gyeonggi Province Governor Dongyeon Kim is walking the Gyeonggi Dullegil trail with participants after the "Unification Walk" send-off ceremony held at Imjingak in Paju on the 28th. Provided by Gyeonggi Province

He continued, "Gyeonggi Province experienced threats to daily life due to the regression of the Yoon Sukyeol administration, especially in terms of peace. Fortunately, with the new administration, as soon as the loudspeakers toward North Korea were halted, the loudspeakers toward the South also stopped the next day, creating a positive momentum in inter-Korean relations." He expressed his hopes, saying, "From Imjingak to Goseong, I hope these 13 days will serve as a meaningful opportunity to reflect on peace and ecology."

Governor Kim and the participants chanted the slogan, "The start of the Unification Walk is in Gyeonggi Province, the start of peace on the Korean Peninsula is in Gyeonggi Province," and began walking the first day's course.

The first day's course covers 23 kilometers from Imjingak in Paju, passing through Yulgok Wetland Park, Jeonjin Bridge, Bangchuk-dong Samgeori, and Oridong Guard Post, and ending at the Dueilli Peace Tourism Education Center in Yeoncheon. On the second day, the route passes through Yeoncheon, then continues through Cheorwon, Hwacheon, Yanggu, and Inje in Gangwon Province, finally reaching Goseong on the thirteenth day.

The Gyeonggi Dullegil is a representative walking tourism destination in South Korea, connecting 60 courses across approximately 860 kilometers in 15 cities and counties of Gyeonggi Province, including Gimpo, Goyang, Paju, Yeoncheon, Icheon, Pyeongtaek, Hwaseong, and Bucheon. Over the past five years, the cumulative number of visitors has reached 2.33 million.