SEOUL, March 18 (Yonhap) -- The unification ministry is expected to resume its tour program to the truce village of Panmunjom on the inter-Korean border next month following its suspension in late 2023 due to military tensions, officials said Tuesday.
"With the goal of resuming the tour program to Panmunjom next month, (the ministry) is carrying out the necessary preparatory works for its operations," a ministry official said.
The ministry plans to open it to policy-related visitors first and then expand access to the general public if its operations are deemed stable, the official said.
The government had initially halted the Panmunjom tour in July 2023 after U.S. Army private Travis King crossed the border into North Korea during a tour to the Joint Security Area near the border, resulting in heightened military tensions.
In November that year, the tour was partially resumed, but it was completely suspended again a week later as North Korean soldiers on duty in the North's part of Panmunjom began carrying heavy firearms, heightening military tensions.
Since then, only foreigners, including foreign Korean War veterans, have been allowed to visit Panmunjom through an irregular tour program.
The ministry has decided to work toward resuming the tour in response to continuing public calls and has reportedly carried out consultations with related agencies, including the United Nations Command, which oversees military activities in the Demilitarized Zone.
This file photo, provided by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, shows foreign Korean War veterans and their families touring Panmunjom in July 2024. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
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