Shall We Walk the Uiryeong Trail While Enjoying the Natural Ecology of Bukhansan?

Gangbuk-gu Holds ‘2023 Gangbuk Residents Unity Walking Competition’

Gathering at 9:40 AM on June 3 at the Meeting Square in Uidong

9.2km Round Trip Course from 802 Unit, Uiryeong Peak, to Gyohyeon-ri Training Ground

Trot and Taekwondo Performances Before the Event... Participants Receive Small Sponsored Gifts

Gangbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Soon-hee) announced that it will hold the ‘2023 Gangbuk Residents Unity Walking Competition’ on June 3 at 10 AM, walking along the Bukhansan Uiryeong Trail to raise awareness of the importance of preserving Uiryeong and to provide a venue for community harmony and health promotion.

This walking competition has been held steadily from 2008, starting with the ‘1st Gangbuk Residents Unity Barefoot Walking Competition’ until 2019, but was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is now being held again after four years. The Uiryeong Trail, where the event takes place, is a 6.8km dirt path connecting Uidong in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, and Gyohyeon-ri in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province. During the Korean War, residents of Yangju and Paju used this path as an evacuation route, and traces of anti-tank obstacles to prevent tank entry still remain.

During the January 21 Incident in 1968, the path was used as an infiltration route by North Korean Kim Shin-jo’s group and was closed off, but it was reopened to the public in July 2009. Thanks to about 40 years of restricted civilian access, the natural ecology has been well preserved. The trail is also flat, making it suitable for people of all ages to walk.

Residents who want to walk this trail together with neighbors and fellow citizens should gather by 9:40 AM on June 3 at the Meeting Square in Uidong. The walking course starts from the Meeting Square in Uidong, passes the last traces of the disappeared military police, the 802 Unit, Uiryeong Peak, Obong Observatory, and returns from the Gyohyeon-ri training ground, covering a 9.2km round trip.

Before the walking competition, the district will distribute number tags to participants and hold congratulatory performances by the trot idol group ‘Samchongsa’ and Taekwondo demonstrations by local elementary and middle school students. Additionally, participants will be provided with water, snacks, and small sponsored gifts.

Furthermore, to ensure the safe progress of the event, the district has established safety management measures including a wildfire prevention plan and will deploy ambulances and medical staff at the venue to prepare for emergencies.

Lee Soon-hee, Mayor of Gangbuk-gu, said, “We have completed leveling work so that residents can comfortably walk the Uiryeong Trail and enjoy the natural ecology,” and added, “We hope many people participate and feel the healing that well-preserved nature within the heart of Seoul can provide.”

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