Paju Mayor Son Baechan Officially Proposes Northward Relocation of Unification Bridge Checkpoint to Government

Mayor Son Baechan Proposes Northward Relocation of Unification Bridge Checkpoint

at Peace and Safety Joint Meeting

Over 700,000 Annual Users of Unification Bridge

Residents Expect Reduced Inconvenience and Revitalized Border Tourism

Son Baechan, Mayor of Paju City, officially proposed to the government the northward relocation of the Unification Bridge checkpoint and improvements to the civilian control line (CCL) entry system, aiming to eliminate the inconveniences that border area residents have endured for over 70 years.

Bachan Sohn, Mayor of Paju City (left), attended the "2nd Joint Meeting on Peace and Safety in Border Areas" hosted by the Ministry of Unification on the 27th and proposed key tasks for the development of border areas to the government, including the relocation of the Tongil Bridge checkpoint and the designation of a peace economic zone. Provided by Paju City

Paju City announced on the 28th that Mayor Son attended the "2nd Border Area Peace and Safety Joint Meeting" hosted by the Ministry of Unification on the 27th and proposed key tasks for the development of the border area to the government, including the relocation of the Unification Bridge checkpoint and designation of the Peace Economy Special Zone.

The meeting was attended by Jeong Dong-young, Minister of Unification; Lee Doo-hee, Vice Minister of Defense; Choo Mi-ae, Governor of Gyeonggi Province; as well as officials from relevant central government ministries and metropolitan and local governments in the border area, who discussed peace and safety policy and institutional improvement measures.

Mayor Son emphasized, "Relocating the Unification Bridge checkpoint northward is not just a simple facility transfer but a project to address the daily inconveniences of residents and inject new energy into tourism and the local economy in the border area." He added, "It is a key priority for restoring normalcy to residents' lives and revitalizing tourism in the border area."

Currently, the Unification Bridge serves as the main gateway to the border area, with more than 700,000 visitors annually. As of last year, about 550,000 tourists and 150,000 farmers used the bridge, but residents of Tongil Village and Haemaru Village, as well as farmers, experience significant inconvenience due to having to repeatedly undergo CCL entry procedures. According to the city, many tourists also give up visiting because of the complex entry procedures.

Paju City expects that relocating the checkpoint northward and improving the entry process with a high-pass drive card system will not only make it easier for residents and farmers to travel, but will also lay the foundation for regional development by revitalizing historical and cultural tourism in border areas such as Deokjin Fortress, Heojun’s Tomb, and Chopyeong Island, and by establishing future energy infrastructure.

Son Baechan, Mayor of Paju City, attended the "2nd Joint Meeting on Peace and Security in Border Areas" hosted by the Ministry of Unification on the 27th and is taking a commemorative photo. Provided by Paju City

In addition, Mayor Son requested expedited designation of the Peace Economy Special Zone and improvement of the differing CCL agricultural entry time standards set by each military unit, asking for active support from the government.

Paju City stated it will continue to cooperate closely with relevant ministries so that the tasks proposed at this joint meeting can be reflected in government policy, and will proactively push for development projects in the border area such as the northward relocation of the Unification Bridge checkpoint.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.