'2019 DMZ Peace Festival' wishes for peace on Korean Peninsula

A poster for the “2019 Peace Festival.” Courtesy of GCS International, Kukmin Ilbo

By Anna J. Park

Festivities under the “2019 DMZ Peace Festival” banner will be held Saturday at Imjingak Pyeonghoa-Nuri Park, on the edge of the inter-Korean truce village in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

The event aims to promote inter-Korean peace and encourage ongoing peace talks on the Korean Peninsula, as U.S. President Trump arrives for a visit to South Korea this weekend.

Hosted by GCS International and Kukmin Ilbo, the event is backed by the government and other sponsors, including parliamentary foreign affairs, education, and culture committees.

The opening ceremony will start at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the park, followed by two elite Taekwondo demonstrations, as well as a massive performance by some 5,000 Taekwondo practitioners from across the nation.

A walking event for inter-Korean peace is scheduled for the afternoon along the 9.1-kilometer eco-trail in Paju that was opened to the public in April. Previously, because the trails are beyond the Civilian Control Line near the inter-Korean border, public access was prohibited.

An award ceremony for a global painting competition on the theme of peace will also be held during the festival. The competition was organized by the U.S.-based non-profit Cooperation Act and about 100 works will be honored with awards from South Korean and U.S. institutions.