South Korea's unification ministry announced on January 22 that it will seek consultations with the U.N. Command (UNC) to reopen three shuttered sections of the DMZ Peace Trail inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). This move aligns with President Lee Jae-myung's government's efforts to restore trust with North Korea. However, objections from the U.S.-led UNC are anticipated.
On January 22, 2026, South Korea's unification ministry stated it will pursue consultations with the U.N. Command (UNC) to reopen three closed trail sections in Paju, Cheorwon, and Goseong within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). These sections are part of the DMZ Peace Trail, launched in 2019 with 11 routes along border areas like Gimpo, Paju, and Yeoncheon, offering public access to otherwise restricted forests and security sites.
The segments were shuttered in April 2024 due to heightened tensions with North Korea on national security grounds. "The government is pushing to restore three sectors of the DMZ Peace Trail, which are situated within the DMZ," a unification ministry official said.
The announcement followed Unification Minister Chung Dong-young's visit to a closed section in Goseong on January 21, where he reaffirmed his commitment. "I will make efforts to have the Peace Trail reclaim its full course by reopening the (closed) sections within the DMZ, in line with the Lee Jae-myung government's measures to preemptively restore trust (with North Korea)," Chung said during the trip.
Reopening the sections this year forms part of the ministry's policy plans reported to President Lee last month. The plan may encounter resistance from the U.S.-led UNC, which enforces the 1950-53 Korean War armistice on the southern side. The official noted that the ministry intends to proceed via consultations with the UNC, stressing that the military-focused armistice does not bar peaceful DMZ uses.
