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| Visitors walk along Oryukdo Sunrise Park in Busan, the starting points for the Haeparang and Namparang trails, in this photo taken in March 2013. Courtesy of Korea Tourism Organization |
By Lee Hae-rin
The Korea hiking trail weeks, a promotional campaign for the Korea Dulle Trail, was launched Friday by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO). The two-week event runs until June 9.
The ministry held the campaign's kick-off ceremony at Oryukdo Sunrise Park in the southeastern port city of Busan, a starting point for two of the four trail routes constituting the Korea Dulle Trails ― Namparang Trail and Haeparang Trail.
The Korea Dulle Trail system includes 4,500 kilometers of walking routes stretching along the eastern, western and southern coasts, as well as the border area in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The trail system is woven through 10 metropolitan areas and 78 local municipalities across the country.
Haeparang Trail on the eastern coast starts from Busan's Oryukdo Sunrise Park and ends at the unification observatory in Goseong, Gangwon Province. The 750-kilometer-long trail consists of 50 routes including major beaches and scenic sunrise spots.
Along the southern coast is Namparang Trail, the 1,470-kilometer trail from Oryukdo Sunrise Park in Busan to Ttangkkeut (Land's End) Tower in Haenam, South Jeolla Province. The trail consists of 90 routes encompassing a number of islands and coastal towns in the South Sea.
Seohaerang Trail features tidal flats, foreshore ecosystem and sunset spots along 1,800 kilometers of walking paths along the western coast through 109 routes, from Ttangkkeut Tower in Haenam to the Ganghwa Peace Observatory in Incheon on the west coast.
The DMZ Peace Trail features historic remains of the 1950-53 Korean War and rich ecological resources along one of the world's most heavily fortified borders, crossing between Ganghwa Island in Incheon to Goseong.
More information on the Korea Dulle Trail routes is available in Korean and English at its official website Durunabi.
