Aegibong Peace Ecopark poised to become popular border-area tourism spot

GIMPO, Gyeonggi Province -- Aegibong Peace Ecopark, celebrated the country’s annual Jeongwol Daeboreum festival on Saturday with a lighting show, media performance, magic show and concert.

Jeongwol Daeboreum is a traditional holiday marking the first full moon of the Lunar New Year, when people share nuts and other traditional food and drinks among families and neighbors, send their wishes for a healthy and fruitful new year to the first full moon.

“We are celebrating Jeongwol Daeboreum at Aegibong Peace Ecopark with the public for the first time,” a Gimpo City official told The Korea Herald on Saturday.

“Following the country’s Jeongwol Daeboreum tradition, we held the Aegibong Moonlight Lighting Show to send our hope, and wish for happiness and peace for this year,” the official explained.

The park which opened in 2021, has struggled to attract local and overseas tourists. But it drew attention with a Christmas celebration with a light show and concert last year.

Located some 50 kilometers northeast of Seoul in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, the park was known as Hill 154 during the Korean War and sits across the Han River estuary from North Korea.

Andres Albiol, a train engineer from Argentina and a Gimpo City ambassador, shared that Aegibong Peace Ecopark was a stunning tourist destination its own charm.

“Travelers can experience border-area tourism at the Imjingak Peace Gondola, DMZ Live Experience Hall and the National Memorial for Abductees during the Korea War in Paju. But there are armed soldiers and fences, which create a tense atmosphere,” Albiol explained.

“This park allows visitors to take a glimpse into North Korean soil in a quiet, tranquil mood. It’s an interesting experience to witness North Korea with your own eyes,” he added.

Albiol, who was visiting Aegibong Peace Ecopark for the second time, shared that the area brings mixed feelings.

“I think this place epitomizes both happiness and sadness. Witnessing the two very different worlds existing next to each other by a river feels a little unreal,” he told The Korea Herald.

Kim, a 45-year-old housewife in Gimpo, who wished to be identified by her surname, said she would come back.

“I came here with my boys to spend a memorable Jeongwol Daeboreum with a laser show. But, I felt that I have to come here once again during the day for an exciting history lesson,” the mother of two boys said, expressing her decision to experience different facilities in Aegibong Peace Ecopark next time.

“Jogang Observatory (at Aegibong Peace Ecopark) is the closest observatory to the area of Gaepung-gun, North Korea. In March and April, visitors can even see North Korean farmers who plow the fields with cows and others hanging out their laundry,” Lee Young-sook, a Gimpo’s culture and history guide, explained.

The observatory aside, another tourist attraction is The Peace Bell, which is made with rusty wire fences and empty cartridges collected from the excavation site of victims of the Korean War.

For those who want a further glimpse of North Korea, the park offers a Virtual Reality Center to take a 10-minute virtual tour to Gaeseong Historic Site District, which is home to the remains of Goryeo Dynasty sitesincluding Manwoldae, Namdaemun and Seonjukgyo Bridge.

Aegibong Peace Ecopark is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Overseas travelers need their passports to enter the eco park.

Admission is 3,000 won ($2.25) for adults above 19 years old. Tickets cost 2,000 and 1,000 won for teenagers and children under 13 years old, respectively.

Online reservations can be made at Aegibong Peace Ecopark’s official website aegibong.or.kr/Home/index.