○ All-new “Pyeonghwa Nuri-gil Stamp Tour” service available via Pyeonghwa Nuri-gil smartphone app
– Full tour now certifiable via electronic stamps that do not require a paper stamp book
– Navigation service with GPS function ensures convenient tours
– Get electronic stamps for 12 courses and receive a tour certificate and souvenirs

Starting this year, tour certificates and guide services will be available for users of Pyeonghwa Nuri-gil via a smartphone app.

Gyeonggi Province announced on October 5 that it has developed the Pyeonghwa Nuri-gil Stamp Tour application with the aforementioned features and will launch the service this year.

The Pyeonghwa Nuri-gil Stamp Tour, an application developed by Gyeonggi Province in cooperation with a professional trekking certification body, helps visitors enjoy more convenient walking tours, as 400,000 people visit Pyeonghwa Nuri-gil each year.

The application provides information on the 12 courses of Pyeonghwa Nuri-gil as well as a navigation service to guide users based on GPS data. In addition, there is no fear of users getting lost as an “alarm” is triggered if off-course detours are detected.

Of particular note, the app features an “electronic stamp” service for Pyeonghwa Nuri-gil trekkers.

Previously, visitors had to carry a physical copy of their Pyeonghwa Nuri-gil Passport and get it stamped at the end point of each course, and were required to submit photos proving course completion to Pyeonghwa Nuri-gil personnel to obtain a full tour certificate.

Based on ICT technology, this app only records when a visitor is within 50 meters of the course, and an “electronic stamp” is issued when he/she completes more than 70% of each course, enabling more convenient and accurate full course certification.

Those who obtain all the electronic stamps for the 12 courses of the 189- kilometer-long Pyeonghwa Nuri-gil and fill out a simply survey will have their relevant data sent to the staff of Pyeonghwa Nuri-gil and receive a full tour certificate along with souvenirs.

Those who finish the 12 courses can then reset the issued electronic stamps and restart their tour of Pyeonghwa Nuri-gil. If visitors successfully complete the tour again, they are given a chance to have their names included in the Hall of Fame.

Anyone can download the “Pyeonghwa Nuri-gil Stamp Tour” app from Google Play (Android) or the App Store (iOS). Gyeonggi Province will continue to note any inconveniences and make improvements, and will also develop additional features to guide visitors by voice and introduce tourist attractions along the trekking courses.

Opened on May 8, 2010, Pyeonghwa Nuri-gil is South Korea’s northernmost walking trail; it stretches over 189 kilometers and consists of 12 courses through four cities and counties, including Gimpo, Paju, Goyang and Yeoncheon. It features a wide variety of attractions, including coastal barbed-wire fencing, the Hangang River, and the Imjingang River, as well as historical and cultural tourism assets.

Gyeonggi Province is pursuing a range of projects to promote the use of cultural and tourism resources through such means as establishing connections with cultural and tourist resources, ensuring visitor safety, and holding walking events. As a result, 400,000 people visit Pyeonghwa Nuri-gil each year, with the number of trekkers for all 12 courses reaching 500.

For further information, visit Gyeonggi-do’s DMZ website (dmz.gg.go.kr) or the DMZ Tour website (dmz.ggtour.or.kr), or contact the staff of Pyeonghwa Nuri-gil (031-956-8310).