Paju attractions open during Lunar New Year holiday

“DMZ 248,” an interactive video game installed at the DMZ Live Hall based on the area's geography and ecology (KTO)

Paju, a city some 40 kilometers northwest of Seoul, looks to attract visitors during the Lunar New Year holiday when many stores, restaurants and travel spots are closed.

Tourist sites located near the banks of the Imjin River in Paju, including the Imjingak Peace Gondola, DMZ LIVE Experience Hall and Dokgae Bridge, will be open without any schedule changes.

The gondolas will be free for those aged 80 or older. From Feb. 10 to 11, visitors can experience Korean traditional games for free.

The National Memorial for Abductees during the Korea War is scheduled to be open on Feb. 10 as well.

There will be no admission fees for two UNESCO World Heritage sites, Paju Jangneung Royal Tomb and the Three Royal Tombs. The historical sites of Hwang Hui, the longest-serving prime minister of the Joseon era (1392-1910), and Yulgok Yi I, one of the most influential scholars of the Joseon era along with Yi Hwang, will also have free admission during the Lunar New Year holiday period, according to a Paju city official.

Odusan Unification Tower, which began offering free admission this January, will be open from, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. A total of 50 visitors can get a special New Year message in Korean calligraphy on a first come, first served basis on Feb. 10 and 11.

DMZ Tours will operate on Feb. 11. The application form is available from the official website of Paju city at https://tour.paju.go.kr/user/tour/main/index.do.

By Lee Si-jin(sj_lee@heraldcorp.com)