Bike path at DMZ to open in September (JoongAng Ilbo)
Createdd 2009-05-08 Hit 5227
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May 08, 2009 – English JoongAng Ilbo
Gyeonggi Governor Kim Moon-soo, front center, leads some 60 cyclists inside the Civilian Control Line on April 10 to try out the new bike route from Imjin Pavilion to Unification Bridge in Paju, Gyeonggi. By Kim Tae-seong
Cyclists will be free to ride along the heavily fortified inter-Korean border when a restricted zone off-limits to civilians since the end of fighting in the Korean War in 1953 is opened in September, according to the Gyeonggi provincial government yesterday.
For the past 56 years only people living in the area and farmers working the fields there have had access to the two-kilometer (1.2-mile) dirt track, which runs five to 10 kilometers south of the demilitarized zone in Gyeonggi.
To protect military facilities, the provincial government will enforce strict rules for when non-military personnel can visit and how many.
The plan is to allow up to 300 civilians to cycle for three hours on the second and fourth Sunday of each month.
In anticipation of increased numbers of cyclists heading toward the border with North Korea, more facilities have been planned.
“The provincial office will consult with the Land Ministry and Korea Railroad Corporation to reserve a section on the train on the Gyeongui Line just to hold bikes so that more people across the country can take their bikes with them to the zone,” said Gyeonggi Governor Kim Moon-soo.
Speaking after cycling with Paju residents to promote the use of bicycles, the governor explained that the project was not just about exercise.
“By allowing people to ride bikes on this newly opened track, I want to give people hope for peaceful unification,” Kim said.
The Gyeongui Line, one of the oldest railways in Korea, stretches from Seoul to Dorasan, the northernmost station in South Korea.
Gyeonggi officials said they are planning to introduce bike tour packages to cater to cyclists once the track is open.
That’s not all. The officials added that they were in the middle of consultations with the Ministry of Defense, with whom they have collaborated to bring this plan to fruition, about the possibility of opening more roads for bike riding within the restricted zone starting next January.
“We are going to complete the consultation process with the ministry at the end of this year,” said provincial official Kim Dae-ho. “We are also planning to stay open more days, add more hours and allow more people to cycle in these areas from January.”
The provincial office said it will start accepting applications 10 days before the cyclists’ planned ride, via the Web sites of the Paju city government and the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization.
By Chung Young-jin, Lee Min-yong [smartpower@joongang.co.kr]
