Gyeonggi Province Hosts 'DMZ Youth Exploration Squad' in July and August in Gimpo, Paju, and Yeoncheon

[Suwon Ilbo=Hong Seong-gil Reporter] Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization will host the 'DMZ Youth Exploration Squad,' where participants will explore the DMZ area and reflect on the value of peace, for four weeks from the 20th through next month's 10th in the northern Gyeonggi DMZ region including Gimpo, Paju, and Yeoncheon.

The 'DMZ Youth Exploration Squad' is a project that Gyeonggi Province has promoted since 2013 to provide young leaders with the opportunity to experience the pain of division, the preciousness of peace, and the value of the DMZ. Over the past six years through last year, a total of approximately 2,200 people participated.

Starting this year, the program will be conducted through group projects linked with on-site field visits to provide deeper understanding of the DMZ and diverse hands-on learning opportunities across a total of four sessions.

The first session will be held on the 20th in Paju, the second session on the 27th in Yeoncheon, the third session on August 3rd in Gimpo, and the final fourth session will take place for two nights and three days from August 8th to 10th at Camp Greaves.

Accordingly, the province is recruiting 40 youth participants for the '2019 DMZ Youth Exploration Squad.'

Participants will explore every corner of the DMZ through activities including a cycling tour of the Imjingang Ecological Trail, the Hwangpo sailboat experience, a walking tour of the Daemyeong Port Peace Nuri Trail, visits to Dora Observatory and the Third Tunnel, and exploration of Camp Greaves, gaining opportunities to reflect on the importance of peace.

Additionally, special lectures on the history of the DMZ and the meaning of peace and reunification will be held with invited experts including Professor Jeon Young-sun from Konkuk University, Professor Kim Jung-soo from the Institute for Unification Education, and author Shim Yong-hwan.

Furthermore, participants will learn about DMZ history and ecological environment knowledge in a fun way through various audiovisual materials and game activities such as 'DMZ Golden Bell,' 'Strategic Domino,' and 'Greaves Steering.' The project results completed by each group across the four sessions will be displayed at the 'DMZ World Ecological Peace Festival' to be held at Kintex in Goyang in September.

Eligible participants are middle school students and youth of similar age, approximately 40 people. Those wishing to participate can apply through the 12th via the 'DMZ Favorites website (dmz.ggtour.or.kr),' and the participation fee is 65,000 won.