'National Land Cross-Country Bicycle Path' Reopens After 5 Years... Pilot Operation of New Routes in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Cheonan, Chungnam

New Routes in Seoul·Gyeonggi, Chungnam·Cheonan, Gyeongnam Jinju·Sancheong and 3 Other Areas Covering 240km
Trial Operation Starting from the 29th

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on the 27th that it will newly discover and pilot operate the "National Long-distance Bicycle Road," which had no new route openings since the 2017 East Coast Bicycle Road in Gyeongbuk.

According to the Ministry, the currently operated National Long-distance Bicycle Road consists of a total of 12 sections spanning 1,857 km. The newly discovered and pilot-operated routes include three regions: ▲ Seoul·Gyeonggi ▲ Chungnam·Cheonan ▲ Gyeongnam Jinju·Sancheong, totaling 240 km. The discovery of new routes for the National Long-distance Bicycle Road targeted bicycle paths that have already been established or will be constructed within the next few years, linked with local cultural and tourism resources to provide users with sightseeing and recreational opportunities.

The three routes to be opened this time were finally selected after safety inspections and consultations with the respective local governments. Of the 240 km of new routes, 125 km will be pilot operated starting from the 29th, and the remaining 115 km will be operated after the completion of local government bicycle road construction by 2024.

Detailed information on the three selected regional routes this year will be available from the 28th through the websites "Bicycle Happiness Sharing" and "Our River Usage Helper." A certification system to commemorate the completion of the new routes is planned to be implemented in 2023 after consultations with related organizations, including the installation of certification centers.

Meanwhile, the Peace Nuri Bicycle Road running along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) will also be developed as part of the National Long-distance Bicycle Road and is scheduled to open in 2023. Choi Hoon, Director of the Local Autonomy and Decentralization Office, said, "We hope that the newly introduced National Long-distance Bicycle Road will allow many citizens, including cycling enthusiasts, to fully enjoy the autumn atmosphere and contribute to revitalizing the local economy," and added, "We plan to continuously discover National Long-distance Bicycle Roads in cooperation with local governments."

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