ID :
197550
Wed, 07/27/2011 - 12:05
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/197550
The shortlink copeid
Gov't finalizes $18 bln blueprint to turn DMZ areas into 'ecological tourism belt'
SEOUL, July 27 (Yonhap) -- The government finalized an 18.8 trillion won (US$17.9 billion) blueprint Wednesday to create an "ecological tourism belt" in regions near the border with North Korea by 2030.
The blueprint, approved in a meeting led by Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik, fleshed out a 2009 plan to turn the areas near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a 4-km-wide swath of land serving as a buffer between the two Koreas since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, into tourist attractions.
Areas near the DMZ are rich in flora and fauna as development has been restricted.
Fifteen cities and counties near the border are subject to the plan.
The plan calls for the DMZ area to be designated as a biosphere zone by the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to preserve biodiversity and promote sustainable use of the area that is home to a a variety of rare species.
It also calls for establishing observation stations where tourists can watch rare species of animals and plants, and establishing tourism programs taking advantage of cultural and historical assets as well as sites illustrating national division.
The plan also includes establishing trekking and bicycle paths in an effort to promote environment-friendly tourism as well as hosting college research centers and establishing a renewable energy complex, officials said.
The blueprint, approved in a meeting led by Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik, fleshed out a 2009 plan to turn the areas near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a 4-km-wide swath of land serving as a buffer between the two Koreas since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, into tourist attractions.
Areas near the DMZ are rich in flora and fauna as development has been restricted.
Fifteen cities and counties near the border are subject to the plan.
The plan calls for the DMZ area to be designated as a biosphere zone by the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to preserve biodiversity and promote sustainable use of the area that is home to a a variety of rare species.
It also calls for establishing observation stations where tourists can watch rare species of animals and plants, and establishing tourism programs taking advantage of cultural and historical assets as well as sites illustrating national division.
The plan also includes establishing trekking and bicycle paths in an effort to promote environment-friendly tourism as well as hosting college research centers and establishing a renewable energy complex, officials said.
