Tours to inter-Korean border village to resume soon: UN

Seoul, Sep 28 A civilian tour program to the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom has been authorised to resume, the UN Command (UNC) announced on Monday, adding that the resumption date will be soon revealed.

Since September 2019, tours to the Joint Security Area (JSA) and other sites inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) have suspended as part of an effort to stem the spread of the highly contagious African swine fever, reports Yonhap News Agency.

In a statement, the Command said: "Due to the successful containment efforts and the reduced number of infected swine in the region, the (South Korean) government formally rescinded their request to the UNC to lift the restriction of DMZ access."

The UNC administers Panmunjom and the broader DMZ as an enforcer of the armistice that halted the 1950-53 Korean War.

UNC Commander Gen. Robert Abrams authorized the resumption "for routine visitation beginning in the near future" the statement added.

Over the past year, South Korea reported a total of 745 African swine fever cases, most of them near inter-Korean border areas of Hwacheon, Yeoncheon and Paju.

( With inputs from IANS )