Step inside this healing spot inside Civilian Control Line in Paju

DMZ Forest in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, is preparing its first Open Week for the general public this month, offering leisure visits inside the Civilian Control Zone. The private forest says it is testing how idle land north of the Civilian Control Line can be used without harming nature. Visitors take part in programs such as singing bowl meditation, terrarium making, tea and refreshments.

DMZ Forest covers about 90,000 square meters in the Civilian Control Zone south of the DMZ’s Southern Limit Line.

The site said it will run its first Open Week throughout October and received support as one of Gyeonggi Province’s 2026 local tourism content projects.

The area shown to reporters covered about 25 percent of the entire site, or roughly 22,500 square meters, and other parts will add Nordic walking, dog-friendly programs and trail running.

Published Oct 3, 2026 12:05 am KST

Moss, ferns, trees and volcanic rock form a beautiful landscape at "DMZ Forest" in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, inside the Civilian Control Zone. Korea Times photo by Lee Han-ho

“Please prepare for a brief security check.”

As the bus doors open, a soldier in combat gear boards and collects the identification cards of each passenger. The soldier looks to be in his early 20s, but the scene, reminiscent of something from a movie, is enough to make passengers slightly tense. After collecting all the IDs from the roughly 10 passengers, the soldier gets off the bus.

“The IDs will be returned when we come back,” the guide explains, putting everyone at ease again.

This is a checkpoint on the Civilian Control Line, the northernmost point that civilians can freely travel to. If you see a chartered bus crossing the line into the Civilian Control Zone and assume that the passengers are taking part in a security tour or academic research, you would be wrong.

They are vacationers.

They are heading into the forest beyond the Civilian Control Line to relax and recharge — walking on moss, picking up fresh chestnuts and meditating to the sounds of insects and birds.

A new opportunity is opening for individuals to visit the Civilian Control Zone for leisure, a place that has traditionally been difficult to access unless one had a residence or farmland there. "DMZ Forest" in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, is preparing to hold its first "Open Week" for the general public this month. Until now, the site has mainly operated for group visits and private rentals.

The name DMZ Forest may suggest that it is located inside the Demilitarized Zone, but it is actually in the Civilian Control Zone just south of the DMZ’s southern boundary, known as the Southern Limit Line.

The lower layer of the forest, now covered with green moss and grass, was once barren, with little vegetation growing there. Korea Times photo by Lee Han-ho

DMZ Forest is a private recreational forest covering about 90,000 square meters. At first glance, it looks like a forest, a naturalistic garden and an outdoor educational center all at once. That is because it is essentially an experimental space.

“There are about 39 million pyeong (128.9 million square meters) of land north of the Civilian Control Line in Paju alone, and this enormous area has been left as a ‘vacuum’ of unused space,” said Lim Mi-ryeo, CEO of DMZ Forest. “DMZ Forest is a place to experiment with how this idle space can be put to use.”

The site serves as a kind of sandbox for exploring how the northern part of the Civilian Control Zone can be developed without damaging nature, and how the area can become part of the local community rather than simply being developed around the conventional concept of security tourism, she said.

For the first three years, Lim tried farming, as other local residents did.

“My flower farming failed miserably in the first year,” she said. “It took me three full years to realize that making a living through farming was almost impossible.”

She then spent two years becoming part of the local community while considering what to create on the land.

The decision to turn it into a forest took shape five years ago, when she began full-scale landscaping and environmental work. Looking back, it seems like a natural conclusion.

During her years as an undergraduate at Ewha Womans University, Lim spent more than half her time outside the campus and in nature. She first took a part-time job filming nature documentaries to earn tuition money, then became so immersed in nature that she took a total of four years off from school to focus on nature photography, mountaineering and environmental surveys.

After graduating, she worked for an academic organization affiliated with the Korea Forest Service, conducting ecological surveys in the Civilian Control Zone. That was how she first became connected to the area north of the Civilian Control Line.

A narrow trail leads from the parking lot into the forest. Korea Times photo by Lee Han-ho

'Human touch’ completes nature

Visitors may be slightly puzzled when they first get off at the DMZ Forest parking lot. It looks much like a makeshift parking area beside a rural road.

That was intentional, according to Lim. The area was deliberately designed to look somewhat barren so that visitors would experience a contrast as they walked over the hill and into DMZ Forest, giving them the feeling that they had suddenly entered nature.

Shiitake mushrooms grow on an oak log. Korea Times photo by Lee Han-ho

The concept is also closely tied to the history of DMZ Forest.

It is easy to assume that the Civilian Control Zone, where human access has been limited, must have well-preserved natural ecosystems. Indeed, numerous surveys have found rich biodiversity in the area, including species found only north of the Civilian Control Line.

But that is only one side of the ecosystem.

Another characteristic of the area is what Lim calls a state of “neglected imbalance.” Because even the minimum level of management provided by ecological policies is absent, ecosystems can lose their balance and become distorted.

“Normally, when invasive plants enter an area, they are managed to protect native plants and prevent a single species from becoming overly dominant, thereby maintaining ecological diversity,” Lim said. “But there is no intervention here at all.”

In particular, most forests inside the Civilian Control Zone are oak-dominated forests, in which a single tree species accounts for most of the vegetation.

“The oaks that returned most quickly after the war grew densely, preventing the middle and lower layers of the forest from developing,” Lim said, stressing the need for human intervention.

To address this, DMZ Forest carried out thinning operations, removing overcrowded oak trees and growing shiitake mushrooms on the logs. Chestnut trees, which are harder than oak, were turned into structures such as tables, stairs and drainage channels.

Stairs in the forest made from chestnut wood. Korea Times photo by Lee Han-ho

Moss was planted on exposed soil to fill out the lower layer of the forest, while young trees were planted to create the middle layer.

In other words, people intervened to restore and gradually rebuild an impoverished ecosystem.

Nature and humans are often viewed as being in opposition, but in the end, humans can also play a role in restoring and enriching nature.

Participants in a singing bowl meditation program at DMZ Forest take time to rest and recharge. Korea Times photo by Lee Han-ho

‘Healing’ inside Civilian Control Zone

The first program attended by visitors that day was a singing bowl meditation session.

As participants gently closed their eyes on yoga mats spread across the grass, the soft sound of the singing bowl rang through the forest.

The birds that had been singing long before participants arrived and the insects that had been calling naturally joined the sound, almost as those they had somehow become part of a quartet without uttering a word.

After the refreshing meditation, participants moved on to make their own terrariums.

They placed volcanic rock and moss, both resembling those found at DMZ Forest, inside small glass jars. As a tiny ecosystem — a piece of the forest itself — it would be hard to find a better souvenir.

A terrarium made with volcanic rock and moss resembles the landscape of DMZ Forest. Korea Times photo by Lee Han-ho

As the participants walked down the steps toward the glass greenhouse to make the terrariums, something suddenly jumped up from the ground.

It was a small Korean brown frog, apparently intent on going wherever it wanted regardless of what the people around it were doing.

A Korean brown frog remains still among the visitors, apparently content with its spot on the damp moss. Korea Times photo by Lee Han-ho

Perhaps pleased with the damp, moss-covered forest path, it stopped hopping and simply sat there with its belly against the ground, staring indifferently into the distance.

After completing the activities, visitors wrap up the day with tea and refreshments while taking in the beautiful scenery.

A tea set is placed on a table decorated with moss and volcanic rocks. Korea Times photo by Lee Han-ho

The area shown to reporters that day covered only about 25 percent of the entire site, or roughly 22,500 square meters. Other parts of the forest will offer more active experiences, including Nordic walking, programs for people with dogs and trail running.

The Open Week program, running throughout October, was selected as one of Gyeonggi Province’s 2026 local tourism content projects and will receive support from the Gyeonggi Tourism Organization.

Based on the pilot program, DMZ Forest plans to develop a model for permanent operations.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.

位于京畿道坡州市的非军事区森林（DMZ Forest）本月将首次面向公众开放，提供民防区内的休闲参观活动。这家私人森林表示，他们正在测试如何利用民防线以北的闲置土地，同时又不破坏自然环境。游客可以参与颂钵冥想、制作生态瓶、品茶等活动。

非军事区森林位于非军事区南部界限线以南的民用控制区内，面积约9万平方米。

该网站表示，将于10月举办首届开放周活动，并作为京畿道2026年地方旅游内容项目之一获得支持。

记者看到的区域约占整个场地的 25%，即约 22,500 平方米，其他部分将增加北欧式健走、宠物友好项目和越野跑。

发布于2026年10月3日凌晨12:05（韩国标准时间）

在京畿道坡州市的“非军事区森林”（DMZ Forest），苔藓、蕨类植物、树木和火山岩构成了一幅美丽的景观，这里位于平民控制区内。（韩国时报 李汉浩 摄）

请做好接受简短安全检查的准备。

巴士车门打开，一名身着作战服的士兵登车，开始检查每位乘客的身份证件。这名士兵看起来二十出头，但这一幕颇有电影场景的氛围，还是让乘客们略感紧张。检查完大约十名乘客的身份证件后，士兵下了车。

“我们回来的时候会归还身份证件，”导游解释道，让大家再次安心下来。

这是民防线上的一个检查站，民防线是平民可以自由通行的最北端。如果你看到一辆包车越过这条线进入民防区，并想当然地认为车上的乘客是在参加安全考察或学术研究，那就错了。

他们是度假者。

他们正前往民防线以外的森林放松身心，恢复精力——在苔藓上漫步，捡拾新鲜的栗子，聆听昆虫和鸟类的声音冥想。

如今，个人休闲前往民防区的机会来了。过去，除非在民防区拥有住所或农田，否则很难进入这片区域。位于京畿道坡州市的“非军事区森林”正准备在本月举办首次面向公众的“开放周”。此前，该区域主要接待团体参观和私人租赁。

DMZ森林这个名字可能会让人误以为它位于非军事区内，但实际上它位于非军事区南部边界（即南部界限线）以南的平民控制区内。

森林底层如今覆盖着绿色的苔藓和青草，而过去这里却寸草不生。韩国时报 李汉浩 摄

DMZ森林是一片占地约9万平方米的私人休闲森林。乍一看，它既像一片森林，又像一座自然花园，还像一个户外教育中心。这是因为它本质上是一个实验空间。

“仅在坡州市民防线以北就有约3900万坪（1.289亿平方米）的土地，这片广袤的区域一直处于闲置状态，成为一片‘真空’，”DMZ Forest首席执行官林美玲表示，“DMZ Forest旨在探索如何利用这片闲置空间。”

她表示，该地就像一个沙盒，用于探索如何在不破坏自然环境的情况下开发平民控制区的北部，以及如何使该地区成为当地社区的一部分，而不是仅仅围绕传统的安全旅游概念进行开发。

头三年，林和其他当地居民一样，尝试务农。

“我第一年种花就彻底失败了，”她说。“我花了整整三年时间才意识到，靠务农谋生几乎是不可能的。”

随后，她花了两年时间融入当地社区，同时思考在这片土地上创造什么。

五年前，她开始全面开展景观美化和环境改造工作，并最终决定将这里变成一片森林。现在回想起来，这似乎是一个顺理成章的选择。

在梨花女子大学读本科期间，林女士超过一半的时间都待在校园外的大自然中。她最初为了赚取学费，兼职拍摄自然纪录片；后来，她完全沉浸于大自然之中，以至于休学四年，专注于自然摄影、登山和环境调查。

毕业后，她就职于韩国林业厅下属的一个学术机构，在平民控制区进行生态调查。她也正是通过这份工作，第一次与平民控制线以北的地区建立了联系。

一条狭窄的小径从停车场通往森林深处。（韩国时报 李汉浩 摄）

“人为的触碰”使自然更加完整

游客第一次来到DMZ森林停车场时可能会感到有些困惑。它看起来很像乡村公路旁的一个临时停车场。

林先生表示，这是有意为之。这片区域被刻意设计得略显荒芜，以便游客翻过山丘进入非军事区森林时，能够感受到一种对比，仿佛突然置身于大自然之中。

香菇生长在橡木原木上。（韩国时报 李汉浩 摄）

这一概念也与非军事区森林的历史密切相关。

人们很容易认为，由于人类活动受到限制，平民控制区内的自然生态系统一定保存完好。事实上，大量调查发现该区域生物多样性丰富，其中包括一些仅在平民控制线以北发现的物种。

但这只是生态系统的一个方面。

该地区的另一个特点是林所说的“被忽视的失衡”状态。由于连生态政策所提供的最低限度的管理都缺失，生态系统会失去平衡并发生扭曲。

林先生说：“通常情况下，当入侵植物进入某个区域时，人们会对其进行管理，以保护本地植物，防止单一物种过度占据优势，从而维护生态多样性。但在这里，却完全没有任何干预措施。”

尤其值得注意的是，平民控制区内的大多数森林都是以橡树为主的森林，其中单一树种占据了大部分植被。

林说：“战后恢复最快的橡树生长得非常茂密，阻碍了森林中下层的发展。”他强调了人为干预的必要性。

为了解决这个问题，DMZ森林开展了疏伐作业，移除了过于密集的橡树，并在枯木上种植香菇。比橡树更坚硬的栗树则被加工成桌子、楼梯和排水沟等结构。

森林中用栗木制成的台阶。（韩国时报 李汉浩 摄）

在裸露的土壤上种植苔藓来填充森林的下层，同时种植幼树来形成中间层。

换句话说，人们介入并逐步重建了一个贫瘠的生态系统。

人们常常认为自然与人类是对立的，但最终，人类也可以在恢复和丰富自然方面发挥作用。

在非军事区森林参加颂钵冥想项目的学员们正在休息放松，恢复精力。（韩国时报 李汉浩 摄）

平民控制区内的“疗愈”

当天游客们参加的第一个活动是颂钵冥想。

参与者们轻轻闭上眼睛，躺在铺在草地上的瑜伽垫上，颂钵的柔和声音在森林中回荡。

在参与者到达之前就一直在鸣叫的鸟儿和一直在鸣叫的昆虫自然而然地加入了这声音，仿佛它们不知何故成为了一个四重奏的一部分，却一言不发。

经过令人精神焕发的冥想之后，参与者们开始制作自己的生态瓶。

他们将火山岩和苔藓（两者都与非军事区森林中的岩石和苔藓相似）放入小玻璃罐中。作为一个微型生态系统——森林的一部分——很难找到比这更好的纪念品了。

用火山岩和苔藓制作的生态瓶，酷似非军事区森林的景观。韩国时报 李汉浩 摄

当参与者们走下台阶走向玻璃温室制作生态瓶时，突然有什么东西从地面跳了起来。

那是一只体型较小的韩国棕色青蛙，它似乎一心只想去任何它想去的地方，完全不顾周围的人在做什么。

一只韩国棕蛙静静地待在游客之中，似乎很满意自己栖身于潮湿苔藓上的位置。（韩国时报 李汉浩 摄）

或许是喜欢这条潮湿、长满青苔的森林小路，它停止了跳跃，只是趴在地上，腹部贴着地面，漠然地凝视着远方。

活动结束后，游客们一边享用茶点，一边欣赏美丽的风景，结束一天的行程。

一套茶具摆放在一张饰有苔藓和火山石的桌子上。（韩国时报 李汉浩 摄）

当天向记者展示的区域仅占整个园区的约25%，约22500平方米。森林的其他部分将提供更多户外活动体验，包括北欧式健走、遛狗项目和越野跑。

10 月份举办的“开放周”活动被选为京畿道 2026 年地方旅游内容项目之一，并将得到京畿道旅游发展局的支持。

根据试点项目，DMZ Forest计划开发一种永久性运营模式。

本文来自《韩国日报》（《韩国时报》的姊妹报），由人工智能生成系统翻译，并由《韩国时报》编辑。