Paju Accelerates "Barrier-Free Tourism City" Initiative with 3 Billion Won Supplementary Budget in September

80 Billion Won to Be Invested by 2027

On September 11, the city of Paju in Gyeonggi Province announced that it has allocated a supplementary budget of 3 billion won to actively pursue the creation of "Barrier-Free Tourism City, Paju," a project aimed at ensuring that all tourists, including those from vulnerable groups, can enjoy tourism without discrimination.

Panoramic View of Paju City Hall. Provided by Paju City.

In February, the city was selected as the final recipient in the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's "2025 Barrier-Free Tourism Connectivity Enhancement" project, securing 4 billion won in national funding. By 2027, a total of 8 billion won will be invested to promote comprehensive barrier-free tourism across transportation, infrastructure, information, and services.

This year, in line with the allocation of 1.5 billion won in national funding, the city has set aside 3 billion won in the supplementary budget (1.5 billion won in national funding, 750 million won in provincial funding, and 750 million won in municipal funding). As the core project for the first year, five barrier-free tourism vehicles will be purchased, including two hydrogen electric buses and three vans, to improve mobility. The city will also support infrastructure improvements for private facilities near tourist attractions, such as accommodations and food and beverage establishments.

Additionally, Paju plans to expand tourism content by creating a photo zone modeled after Panmunjom on the rooftop observatory of the Paju Imjingak Peace Gondola and by providing rest facilities for vulnerable tourist groups.

The city’s phased plan includes: ▲ In the first year (2025), introducing barrier-free tourism vehicles and installing exclusive boarding and alighting zones for people with disabilities to enhance transportation convenience; ▲ In the second year (2026), improving accessibility at major tourist destinations such as the Unification Hill Tourism Special Zone and Imjingak Tourist Site by renovating nearby private facilities to add accessible restrooms, ramps, and braille information signs; ▲ In the third year (2027), developing barrier-free travel packages based on the connected tourism infrastructure. Through these steps, Paju aims to expand an "open tourism environment for all" and establish a comprehensive tourism service system.

Kim Kyoungil, Mayor of Paju, stated, "Paju is working to create open tourist destinations such as Imjingak Tourist Site, Majang Lake, Gongneung Tourist Site, the Third Tunnel, and Dora Observatory. Moving forward, we will enhance connectivity between tourist attractions and strive to become an inclusive tourism city where everyone can comfortably travel in Paju."

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