The Seoul government announced on Tuesday its plan to create an eco-tourism belt along the demilitarized zone separating South and North Korea as part of efforts to turn the area into a world-class tourist attraction.
The DMZ is a 248-kilometer-long, 4km-wide belt stretching from the east to west coasts of the Korean Peninsula. The area, which has remained untouched by humans since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, is rich in biodiversity, including plants and animals.
The Presidential Council on National Competitiveness said in a meeting with relevant ministries that it will push to make a cross-country bicycle path along the DMZ and set up parks and centers for meetings among students of the two Koreas.
The council also plans to build an observation center with high-tech equipment to monitor and preserve the natural wildlife in the zone, it said.