Where moss is spread like a velvety carpet and wildflowers bloom on abandoned land, the DMZ, once a symbol of security and division, has been reborn as a "forest of recovery and regeneration."

On the 22nd, Paju City invited about 20 people, including journalists, tourism industry insiders, travel writers, and cultural heritage experts, to a DMZ forest located inside the Civilian Control Line in Gunnae-myeon. They held the "Re:DMZ Fam Tour—Paju Met in the Forest of the Border" to unveil the pilot route of its eco-healing tourism content to the outside world for the first time.

This program is a stay-type tourism project promoted after Paju City secured 150 million won in provincial funding by being selected for the "2026 Gyeonggi Local Tourism Content Discovery and Support Project" by Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization.

Designated as a "2025 Gyeonggi-certified Wellness Tourism Destination," the DMZ forest spans approximately 27,000 pyeong. Ironically, thanks to strict restrictions on human access, it has preserved a pristine moss garden and colonies of wild flowers.

Event participants began with a yoga session for the soundscape experience "Listening to the Forest of the Border," where they listened closely to the subtle sounds of the moss garden in the quiet forest. This was followed by "Capturing the Forest of the Border," where they planted wildflowers to create their own small glass terrariums, and a tea experience sharing pleasant conversations over a warm cup of tea inside a glass greenhouse.

Afterward, they moved to Jangdan Bean Well-being Maru to recharge their vitality by sharing a healthy local healing meal prepared with Jangdan beans, Paju's special product.

In the afternoon, they captured grand classical melodies at "Camerata," a famous music appreciation room in Heyri Art Village, and visited "Mimesis Art Museum" in the Publication City to view its sensational architectural beauty.

Lim Mi-rye, CEO of the DMZ Forest, who met them on-site, said, "Creating a space where people can rest comfortably without harming nature as much as possible, and where nature breathes together, is another form of healing. I hope this place becomes a space that shares the true value of coexistence between freedom and humans."

The city plans to meticulously supplement the program by reflecting the voices of the field gathered during this fam tour, and then begin full-scale operations through the "Open Week" on the 29th.

The Open Week, which runs until next month, consists of single-day and 1-night 2-day programs, along with "Inclusion Day," which invites mobility-impaired individuals such as pregnant women and the elderly free of charge.

In November, a "Post Week" is planned for individual foreign and domestic travelers (FIT).

Kim Eun-jung, Head of the Tourism Division, said, "This fam tour is the first attempt to reinterpret the DMZ as a place to experience recovery and regeneration, moving away from the existing perspective of consuming it merely as a 'security tourist destination to look at and pass by.' We will do our best to establish Paju's unique eco-healing tourism model to increase tourists' stay duration, which will lead to a virtuous cycle of revitalizing the local economy."

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