ROKG to resume Panmunjeom tours for South
Korean nationals with streamlined procedures
- Applications and
tours by individuals and families permitted -
□ The ROK government will resume Panmunjeom tours starting November
4. Those who wish to visit Panmunjeom, which has newly transformed
into an area of peace after going through demilitarization and serving
as the venue for inter-Korean and ROK-DPRK-U.S. talks, will be able to
do so through a streamlined application procedure that allows for more convenience.
□ The Ministry of Unification has established a ‘Panmunjeom Tour
Support Center,’ creating a single tour application window, compared
to the past when applications could be processed through a number of
different agencies.
o From now on, any South Korean national can apply for tours
through the website (www.panmuntour.go.kr).
Individual and family tours are also possible.
o The application deadline has also been adjusted for greater
convenience. Applications, which needed to be submitted 60 days prior
to the intended tour date, has been reduced to two weeks. Furthermore,
the age limit for tours has been lowered from age 10 to 8 – children
in the lower grades of elementary school can now visit Panmunjeom.
| Category | Before | After |
| Application window | Applicants could register via
various windows
(Ministry of Unification, Ministry of
National Defense,
National Intelligence Service)
| All domestic applications
are now
to be made through the
Ministry of
Unification |
| Applicant unit | Only group tours
possible
(30-40 persons) | Individual·family tours now
available
(up to 5 persons) |
| Application deadline | 60 days before the tour date |
14 days before the tour
date
* The final list of attendees
need to be notified
to the UNC
3 days before the tour date |
| Age limit | 10 years old and above | 8 years old and above |
□ A trial tour will run on November 4, with the official Panmunjeom
tour launching on November 6. Online registrations will be open to the
public through the Panmunjeom Tour Support Center website from October 20.
□ Considering situations regarding the African swine fever (ASF) and
COVID-19, the government will begin with small-scale tours to ensure
safety. The government will expand tours in number and scale as the
situation improves.
o There have been no outbreaks of
ASF in Paju, Gyeonggi Province since last June. Nonetheless, the
government, in consultation with the quarantine authorities, completed
a joint inspection and set up disinfection equipment, wild
boar-blocking fences, and shoe sole disinfection mats. The government
will continue to thoroughly check and disinfect every tour
route.
o To prevent the spread of COVID-19, a supply of
quarantine goods including thermometers and hand sanitizers have been
placed, and disinfection of facilities and vehicles are conducted
regularly. The tours will be run while fully complying with the
COVID-19 guidelines, including checking body temperatures, wearing
masks, and keeping social distances.
□ The government
expects the resumed Panmunjeom tours to facilitate the
demilitarization and free travel of Panmunjeom, as agreed in the 2018
Panmunjeom Declaration and the Agreement on the Implementation of the
Historic Panmunjeom Declaration in the Military Domain.
o Starting with Panmunjeom and possibly leading to the reopening and
expansion of the DMZ Peace Trails, the government will continue its
efforts to return the DMZ to the Korean people.
