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South Korea plans ecotourism site near
DMZ
SEOUL - Areas near the
Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates North and South
Korea may be turned into tourist attractions, a move
hoped to be the first step in developing the
inter-Korean buffer zone into an ecotourist destination,
South Korea's state-run tourism agency said on
Wednesday.
The Korea National Tourism
Organization (KNTO) said it has mapped out basic
guidelines for developing regions near the DMZ into
tourism sites where visitors can experience the diverse
ecosystem.
The inter-Korean border is a subject
of keen interest among international ecologists, as it
has been a haven for endangered species for more than a
half-century.
No civilian has been allowed
inside the world's most heavily fortified zone, which
has divided the Korean Peninsula since 1945, when it was
liberated from Japanese colonial rule. As no peace
treaty was signed at that time, South and North Korea
remain technically at war.
Everything, including
some rare species of plants and animals, has been kept
safe from human interference inside the DMZ, which
stretches 248 kilometers from east to west and covers
907 square kilometers.
The four-kilometer-wide
zone, made up mostly of forests and grass and swamp
land, reportedly houses about 2,716 species of plants
and animals.
"Some fear the development of the
DMZ may destroy its environment, but we will put our
primary focus on preserving its ecosystem," a KNTO
official said.
Cheolwon in the northwestern
corner of Gangwon province is the main area that will be
developed under the themes of ecology, war, sightseeing
and history, the official said. Goseong in Gangwon
province and Paju in Gyeonggi province are also planned
to be developed if the plan is approved.
In its
quest, the KNTO plans to fine-tune details regarding
housing and transportation services with related
authorities and hold public hearings with local
environmental organizations.
"We hope this will
pave the way for our plan to develop the area inside the
DMZ as an ecotourist site," the official added.
The tourism body also plans to conduct joint
research with North Korea and the World Tourism
Organization on the feasibility of developing the area
for ecotourism.
(Asia Pulse/Yonhap)
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