Bugaksan's Southwest Section Fully Opens... Access Restrictions Fully Lifted for First Time in 59 Years Since Kim Shin-jo Incident

Last remaining closed section of Bugaksan
To fully open 24 hours a day starting October 17

The last closed section of Bugaksan will be fully opened. It will be the first time in 59 years that access restrictions around Bugaksan have been completely lifted, since the Kim Shin-jo incident.

The Presidential Security Service said on October 13 that the southwestern section of Bugaksan would be open to the public 24 hours a day. The section is 1.32 km long and will be accessible starting at 9 a.m. on October 17.

The hiking trail on Bugaksan behind the Blue House in Jongno-gu, Seoul, will be fully opened for the first time in 59 years. The photo shows downtown Seoul as seen from the Blue House Observatory on Bugaksan. May 10, 2022.

Public access to the Bugaksan area has been restricted since the Kim Shin-jo incident in 1968. The northern trails were opened in 2020, and the southeastern area in 2022, but this will be the first time the southwestern section has opened. With this opening, visitors will be able to walk throughout the entire Bugaksan area without interruption.

Since July last year, the Presidential Security Service has worked with relevant agencies on related matters, including creating and maintaining trails and implementing security measures. The Korea Heritage Service has worked to create an optimal environment for visitors to experience the value of Bugaksan, a designated scenic site, and Jongno-gu has supported the trail construction project.

The Presidential Security Service said it plans to establish a safety management and security system, including safety patrols at visitor information centers and CCTV operations, to maintain a thorough security posture and help hikers enjoy the mountain safely.

Hwang In-kwon, chief of the Presidential Security Service, said, "With the opening of this third-stage section that was previously closed, we can now return Bugaksan in its entirety to the people." He added, "We will continue to actively uphold the principles of open and unobtrusive security in the field, respect people's daily lives and spaces, and become a security agency that works in harmony with the public."

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