DMZ Peace Walk in Imjingak Pyeonghwa Nuri Park

On the 20th of May 2023, I was lucky to be one of the 1000 people to participate at the DMZ Peace Walk. The event was held at Imjingak Py...

On the 20th of May 2023, I was lucky to be one of the 1000 people to participate at the DMZ Peace Walk. The event was held at Imjingak Pyeonghwa Nuri Park in Paju to mark the 70th anniversary of the ceasefire of the Korean War and the beginning of the DMZ Open Festival.

The DMZ OPEN Festival is a festival hosted by the Gyeonggi provincial government office and organized by the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization. According to Gyeonggi Gov. Kim Dong-yeon, the festival hopes to showcase Gyeonggi’s “will toward peace and reunification” and promote the ecological and historical value of the DMZ.

The 9.1-kilometer course started from Imjingak Pyeonghwa Nuri Park through the southern end of the Unification Bridge, Eco Museum, and the observatory of Chopyeong Island to the Yulgok wetland park. It offered a rare opportunity to walk beyond the DMZ and the civilian access control line. In addition to the walk, there was an outdoor concert, an experience center to taste North Korean food, a vendor to buy local specialties, and so much more.

I never thought I would have North Korean food and I don’t know what I was expecting but it wasn’t that much different from South Korean food. I had corn rice cakes and snacks that tasted like seaweed and South Korean twisted doughnut. They tasted so good that I ended up buying almost 2 bags full of the snacks. People also had the chance to take home lots of presents from the events. My backpack was full even before the walk started. It was amazing to see people come together to appreciate a painful part of Korea’s history. As the location(Imjingak) represents, it felt like a step towards peace.

In addition, the ‘DMZ Peace Train’, which also conveys a message of peace, started its first operation on the 20th. The first train departed from Suwon Station at 9:08 am and ran to Dorasan Station. Dorasan Station is the northernmost train station on South Korea’s railway system, located on the Gyeongui Line and about 205 kilometers (127 miles) south of North Korea’s capital Pyongyang. This was the first-time people could visit the restricted area since it was sealed off during the pandemic. On the day of the walk, the trains stopped at Anyang > Seoul > Munsan > Imjingak so I got on the train at Seoul Station at 10am and arrived at Imjingak at 11:37.

The train plans on operating from Suwon Station to Dorasan Station a total of 13 times on the first and third Saturdays of each month from June to October, with the round-trip fare of 5,000 won. Each train has three cars and is equipped with a café, observation deck, photo zone and photo gallery. The photo gallery included photos from the 1950-53 Korean War.

In addition to the peace train, Gyeonggi Province has a lot of a events planned under the theme “Feel the DMZ” up until November 11th. So look forward to more stories from the Gyeonggi DMZ.

Written by: Aiyanyo Titi (2023 Gyeonggi Province Foreign Supporter)