Hope Rail Proposes Approval of Individual Tours to Wonsan Galma... Jeong Sehyun and Hwang Sok-yong Join

Hope Rail, a non-profit organization led by Chairman Lee Dongseop, which has been pursuing peaceful coexistence between South and North Korea through initiatives such as the "Connecting the Continental Railway" and "Humanities Journeys" that link railways and culture, submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Unification on December 8, requesting the approval of individual tours to the Wonsan Galma District and support for a pilot project for visits by overseas Koreans. The proposal was signed by over 500 people, including former Minister of Unification Jeong Sehyun and writer Hwang Sok-yong. On October 29, Hope Rail launched a task force and held an inaugural ceremony attended by former Minister Jeong, writer Hwang, and around 200 citizens.

Hope Rail explained, "Given the rapidly changing international situation and North Korea's moves to open up tourism, it is necessary to adopt a flexible and diverse individual tourism model that allows for the participation of various private actors, in addition to existing methods." The organization emphasized the urgent need for a new exchange model to prevent a situation where only South Korean citizens are excluded, while Russian and Chinese nationals are able to travel freely. They stated that there are feasible ways to achieve this even within the framework of international sanctions against North Korea.

The Galma Coastal Tourist Area in Wonsan, Gangwon Province, a large beach resort complex in North Korea, was completed on June 24. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

In particular, Hope Rail expressed its intention to prioritize a pilot tourism project for overseas Koreans with foreign citizenship. This would serve as a kind of testbed, allowing for the review of necessary travel routes, accommodations, and personal safety manuals in preparation for the future resumption of individual tours by South Korean citizens. The organization explained that humanities and historical journeys, free from ideological bias, could help narrow the emotional gap between residents of the two Koreas. Hope Rail requested the Ministry of Unification to proactively consider and announce the approval of individual tours, provide administrative advice and guidelines, and support the establishment of private sector governance.

Hope Rail also proposed three collaborative projects to the Overseas Koreans Agency to facilitate the "Overseas Koreans Wonsan Galma Peace Delegation" in the summer of 2026. These include the production of a storytelling guide, joint online and offline briefing sessions by region, and the operation of a peace experience zone. Chairman Lee Dongseop emphasized, "It is time for the private sector to play an active role in opening a new path for inter-Korean relations."