"Paju Tongildongsan, Symbol of Peace and Art, Ranks First in Tourism Special Zone Evaluation for Third Consecutive Year"

Plans to Reflect Expansion of Foreign Visitor Attraction and Barrier-Free Facilities in the 2026 Promotion Strategy

The Tongildongsan Tourism Special Zone, which includes Heyri Art Village, the National Folk Museum, Odusan Unification Observatory, and Matgoeul, has firmly established itself as Gyeonggi Province's leading tourist destination. The special zone, with a total area of approximately 3 million square meters (910,000 pyeong), ranked first for the third consecutive year in the "2024 Gyeonggi Province Tourism Special Zone Promotion Plan Implementation Evaluation."

Odusan Unification Observatory. Photo by Paju City

According to Paju City on June 9, Gyeonggi Province annually evaluates the implementation of promotion plans for tourism special zones within the province in accordance with Article 73 of the Tourism Promotion Act. This year's evaluation was conducted based on four categories: potential (30 points), efficiency (20 points), convenience (20 points), and sustainability (30 points).

The Tongildongsan Tourism Special Zone received a total score of 88.75 points (potential 27.50 points, efficiency 18.25 points, convenience 16.00 points, sustainability 27.00 points), earning the highest score among the three tourism special zones in Gyeonggi Province, which include Dongducheon and Pyeongtaek. In particular, the zone was highly rated for its diverse program operations, projects reflecting local characteristics such as the Samdopum Festival, and tourism content centered on peace and art resources such as the Pyeonghwa Nuri Trail, Unification Observatory, and Heyri Art Village.

Regarding the Tongildongsan Tourism Special Zone Promotion Plan established in 2021, there was a recognized need to supplement strategies for attracting foreign tourists and to expand barrier-free (BF) facilities. In response, the city plans to enhance the effectiveness of the next promotion plan, which will be established in 2026, by expanding projects to attract foreign visitors and by incorporating an integrated evaluation system that includes the expansion of barrier-free facilities.

Paju Mayor Kim Kyoungil stated, "The Tongildongsan Tourism Special Zone is the only special zone in Korea where peace, art, and historical culture coexist. We will further attract foreign tourists, develop differentiated content, and expand barrier-free facilities so that everyone can enjoy a comfortable stay and the area can grow into a stay-type tourist destination."

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