Seven of the themed routes of the DMZ Peace Trail, a trail created near the Demilitarized Zone that is accessible to the public, will reopen starting Nov. 20, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced Thursday.

The routes include those in Ganghwa, Gimpo, Goyang, Paju, Hwacheon, Yanggu, and Goseong area.

The DMZ Peace Trail had initially been created as 10 separate routes. Since April 2019, three of the routes-- Paju, Cheorwon, Goseong -- have opened on a trial basis, attracting some 15,000 visitors. However, from September 2019, with the spread of the infectious African swine fever virus, followed by COVID-19, all trails have been temporarily closed.

 The seven new routes will be operated free of charge, and prior reservations can be made starting Thursday, through www.dmzwalk.com.

The Paju trail is currently closed to protect migratory birds in the area. Only those who are fully vaccinated or have tested negative for in a PCR test three days prior to the visit will be allowed access.

By Kim Hae-yeon (hykim@heraldcorp.com)