Government Prepares to Resume Panmunjom Tours... Three Days After North Korean GP Shooting (Comprehensive)

Minister Kim Yeon-cheol of the Ministry of Unification Visits Panmunjom and DMZ
Residents Welcome Saying "It Helps the Local Economy"
Ministry of Unification States "The Shooting Guard Post and Panmunjom Are Far Apart"

Minister of Unification Kim Yeon-cheol (center) visited Panmunjom and the Paju section of the 'DMZ Peace Trail' on the morning of Wednesday, May 6, along with National Assembly members Yoon Hu-duk and Park Jung, Mayor Choi Jong-hwan, and the private advisory group for the creation of a peace and unification cultural space, the Ministry of Unification announced that day.

Amid North Korean troops firing shots at a South Korean military guard post (GP) in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in Gangwon Province on the 3rd without expressing any apology, the government has begun preparations to resume tours of Panmunjom.

On the 6th, the Ministry of Unification announced that Minister Kim Yeon-cheol visited Panmunjom and the Paju section of the 'DMZ Peace Trail' along with Democratic Party lawmakers Yoon Hu-deok and Park Jung, Mayor Choi Jong-hwan, and a civilian advisory group for the creation of a peace and unification cultural space. This visit was conducted to check the status of preparations for reopening Panmunjom tours.

During the Panmunjom visit, UN Command Deputy Commander Campbell Meyer, Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission representatives Patrick Gosha from Switzerland and Hibe Corneliuson from Sweden welcomed the delegation, and the Paju section of the 'DMZ Peace Trail' was personally guided by Division Commander Kim Hong-seok of the 1st Division.

The Ministry of Unification stated, "To enable more citizens to visit Panmunjom, we have been preparing for the resumption of tours by establishing the 'Panmunjom Tour Support Center' and building a website." It added, "In cooperation with the Ministry of National Defense (1st Division) and Paju City, we plan to create a 'Peace and Unification Cultural Space' at the South-North Entry Office linked with the 'DMZ Peace Trail' in the future."

This cultural space will be designed to allow visitors to experience the meaning of the 'DMZ Peace Trail' by utilizing the entry office building and dismantled GPs, reflecting the opinions of the civilian advisory group.

Minister Kim held a luncheon with village chiefs from Daeseong-dong Village, Tongil Village, and Haemaru Village near Panmunjom to gather opinions from the local community.

Local residents expressed concerns about the economic difficulties caused by the suspension of peace and security tourism in the Paju area and hoped for the swift resumption of tourism, the Ministry of Unification reported.

The Ministry stated, "Taking this visit as an opportunity to reflect the opinions of local residents, we will work with quarantine authorities for COVID-19 and ASF, and related organizations (UN Command, Ministry of National Defense, Paju City) to thoroughly implement quarantine measures and promote the resumption of peace and security tourism in Paju, including Panmunjom and the DMZ Peace Trail, as well as the creation of the Peace and Unification Cultural Space."

In 2019, the government opened the 'DMZ Peace Trail' as a practical project to establish peace in the DMZ. However, due to African Swine Fever (ASF), tours of Panmunjom were suspended in September and October of last year, respectively.

The Ministry of Unification planned a pilot tour of Panmunjom for displaced persons and separated families at the end of February but postponed it due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As the infection situation gradually improves, discussions on resuming tours appear to be underway.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Unification stated that preparations to resume Panmunjom tours are unrelated to the North Korean military's GP shooting incident.

At a regular briefing held at the Government Seoul Office, Ministry spokesperson Yeo Sang-gi said, "Minister Kim's visit to Panmunjom was scheduled in advance," and added, "The GP where the shooting occurred and Panmunjom are geographically quite far apart."

Spokesperson Yeo said, "This visit was conducted to check the status of preparations for resuming Panmunjom tours, so the connection with the GP on the central front was not significantly considered."

Regarding the fact that North Korea has not yet expressed any regret over the shooting incident, the government said it is not particularly concerned.

Spokesperson Yeo explained, "As far as I know, North Korea has never issued a statement regarding similar incidents like the GP shooting," and added, "Based on past precedents, North Korea often does not respond at all to policy controversies or incidents with many disputes such as shootings."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.