Kim Yeon-cheol: "Panmunjom Tour May Resume in June... It Is Safe" Four Days After North Korean GP Shooting

Minister of Unification: "Small Number and Pilot Operation Possible"
"Panmunjom Is an Important Tourist Resource for North Korea, Too"
"Paju DMZ Peace Trail Is the Safest Area"

Minister of Unification Kim Yeon-chul is giving opening remarks at a press corps meeting held on the 7th at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

On the 7th, four days after the shooting incident at the South Korean surveillance post (GP) by North Korean troops, Kim Yeon-cheol, Minister of Unification, said that tours of Panmunjom could resume starting in June.

Tours of Panmunjom had been suspended since October last year due to the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF). The Ministry of Environment plans to collect and investigate wild boar samples around mid-month, and the Ministry of Unification intends to base its decision on resuming tours on these results.

At a press briefing held at the Government Seoul Office Building on the morning of the 7th, Minister Kim said, "If there are no abnormalities in the wild boar sample results, we expect that limited tours of Panmunjom could be possible on a trial basis starting in June."

On the 6th, Minister Kim visited Panmunjom and the dismantled GP in Paju to check the preparatory status for resuming peace and security tourism. Although the aftermath of the North Korean GP shooting incident has not yet fully subsided, Minister Kim emphasized that sufficient safety measures are being taken.

He said, "Regarding safety issues, Panmunjom is quite different from the central front line where the shooting incident occurred," adding, "Panmunjom is a very important tourist resource even from North Korea's perspective." This suggests that because attracting tourists is important to the North as well, the likelihood of unfortunate incidents like shootings occurring in the Panmunjom area is low.

Minister Kim also explained that the convenience and safety of tourists have been enhanced. He said, "To minimize inconvenience for elderly visitors, we have made various safety improvements, including new elevator construction."

He emphasized that the Paju section of the 'DMZ Peace Trail,' which includes the dismantled GP in Paju, is also an area where safety is the top priority. Minister Kim said, "When selecting the Peace Trail, the criterion was to choose the safest possible candidate sites from a safety perspective," adding, "Among them, the dismantled GP on the way to Panmunjom can be considered the safest area." He also mentioned, "Additional facilities have been installed to secure visibility as part of reinforcement measures."

Minister of Unification Kim Yeon-chul is giving opening remarks at a press corps meeting held on the 7th at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

At the briefing, Minister Kim outlined the direction for inter-Korean relations this year, citing key tasks including Panmunjom tours, the connection of the Donghae Northern Line railway, the internationalization of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) as a peace zone, and inter-Korean health and medical cooperation with a joint infectious disease response system.

Minister Kim categorized inter-Korean cooperation projects into three areas: those that can be carried out regardless of inter-Korean relations, those that require cooperation between the two Koreas, and those that depend on the international environment including sanctions against North Korea. Among these, he announced plans to actively promote projects such as Panmunjom tours and the Donghae Northern Line railway, which South Korea can internally and independently pursue regardless of inter-Korean relations.

Furthermore, Minister Kim said that dialogue between the two Koreas is necessary for inter-Korean cooperation projects and that the government is comprehensively reviewing the timing to propose talks to the North. In response to a question about whether there are plans to propose contact to the North in the form of inter-Korean talks or any other format, he said, "The government is continuously reviewing the possible timing," adding, "We are monitoring the situation."

He also said, "The government agrees on the necessity of video conferences between the two Koreas," but added, "Currently, more technical equipment improvements are needed to conduct video conferences using communication lines."

However, Minister Kim expressed a reserved stance on the timing, saying, "There are limits to talks being held solely based on our unilateral will," and "We may need to wait a bit longer."

Minister Kim stated that the easing of the COVID-19 pandemic must precede the full-scale resumption of inter-Korean contact.

He said, "In South Korea, the quarantine situation is relatively good and showing signs of stabilization, but globally, tensions remain high, and North Korea also has its own concerns," adding, "Inter-Korean cooperation will likely be realized when the COVID-19 phase shifts from quarantine to economic recovery." He further noted, "It is currently difficult to predict the criteria for when inter-Korean cooperation will become possible," and said that the situation must be monitored and judged as it progresses.

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