This Autumn, 4,500 km Walking Tour Connecting Coastal and Forest Paths Opens Nationwide

Walking Travel Week from October 1 to 11:
Connecting 4,500 km of Korea Dullegil and 850 km of East-West Trail
Opening Ceremony in Taean, 40 Programs Nationwide
First 500 Participants Accepted from September 9 to 20

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Korea Tourism Organization, and Korea Forest Service will hold the '2026 Korea Dullegil × East-West Trail Walking Travel Week' from October 1 to 11. This event aims to encourage visitors to experience local culture and nature through walks connecting coastal and forest paths, ultimately promoting local tourism and spending.

Poster for the "2026 Korea Dullegil × East-West Trail Walking Travel Week," operated from October 1 to 11 by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Korea Tourism Organization, and the Korea Forest Service. The declaration ceremony and a walking event of approximately 3 km will be held on October 1 in Taean, Chungnam, and various experiential programs will be conducted at Korea Dullegil rest areas nationwide. Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

On September 9, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced that the opening ceremony of the Walking Travel Week will be held at the Taean Marine Healing Center in Chungnam on October 1. The ceremony will take place near Mongsanpo Beach in Taean, where the 65th section of the West Sea Dullegil and the second section of the East-West Trail meet.

The Korea Dullegil is an approximately 4,500 km walking trail connecting the east, west, and south coasts as well as border areas. The trail has been developed since 2016 and all sections opened in 2024. The East-West Trail, which is being developed by the Korea Forest Service, is an approximately 850 km forest trail stretching from Taean in Chungnam to Uljin in Gyeongbuk. Construction began in 2023, with a goal to open the entire trail in the second half of 2027.

Applications to participate in the opening ceremony will be accepted for the first 500 people on a first-come, first-served basis via the 'Durunubi' walking travel app and official website from September 9 to 20. After the ceremony, participants will walk together the approximately 3 km route from the Taean Marine Healing Center to Mongsanpo Beach. Those who complete the course will receive a completion medal.

Along the walking route, participants can enjoy street performances and, depending on weather conditions, even view a sunset over the West Sea. After the walk, yoga and singing bowl sound therapy programs will be offered at the Taean Marine Healing Center. These programs, limited to 30 people per session for a total of 120 participants, will be held twice each, at 30-minute intervals, beginning at 5:00 p.m. The participation fee is discounted to 10,000 won from the standard price of 24,000 won, and a separate reservation is required when applying for the walking event.

During Walking Travel Week, online challenges and local experiential events will take place nationwide. These include 'Find It! Kodul Detective,' where participants try to identify courses based on landscapes of the Korea Dullegil created by artificial intelligence (AI), and the 'Kodul Stamp Challenge,' where walking records are collected using the 'follow' function within the Durunubi app.

From October 3 to 5 and October 9 to 11, the 'Walk and Enjoy a Cup of Coffee' campaign will provide coffee at nearby local cafes to participants who complete designated courses. At Korea Dullegil rest areas nationwide, there will be a total of 40 programs including both special, limited-time programs and ongoing activities, such as the 'Oryukdo Safe Walking Road' in Nam-gu, Busan; 'Haepalang Shelter Experience' in Dong-gu, Ulsan; 'Enjoy Haepalang-gil by Train' in Gangneung, Gangwon; and 'Suncheon Nampalang Sea Walking' in Suncheon, Jeonnam.

Kang Jeongwon, policy chief for tourism at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, stated, "Korea Dullegil and East-West Trail are Korea's representative walking travel routes, allowing people to fully enjoy the country's diverse regions on foot." He added, "We will expand content so that people can discover and experience the charm of each region, helping walking travel contribute to local tourism and economic revitalization." Detailed schedules and participation methods for each event can be found on the Durunubi website.

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