DMZ tourist location visitation reasons South Korea 2024

According to a survey conducted in South Korea in 2024, around 35 percent of respondents stated that they had visited tourist locations near the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in order to strengthen their friendships with family and acquaintances. About 29 percent wanted to experience the reality of Korean division, while 12 percent wanted to see North Korean society up close. The DMZ was established as a buffer zone between North and South Korea under the 1953 armistice agreement and divides the Korean Peninsula in two. It also serves as a neutral meeting place for inter-Korean talks. While the DMZ itself is demilitarized, the borders on either side are heavily militarized, with large buffer zones keeping civilians away except for select areas open to tourists. Most tourist locations related to the DMZ are located in nearby settlements.