Sejong, April 25 - The Ministry of Environment (Minister Han Wha-jin) announced that it would be recruiting participants for the "2023 Spring Ecotourism Program" from April 17 to May 4, 2023. The participants will experience amazing ecological tourist destinations in Pyeongchang-gun and Uljin-gun for two days.

The ecotourism program will be open to all citizens (adults aged 19 and over; underaged minors must be accompanied by a guardian) and will be an overnight program from May 19 to 20.

The participants will either visit one of the two ecotourism destinations: "Pyeongchang-gun Eoreumchi Village and Donggang River (departing from Gwanghwamun, Seoul)" or "Uljin-gun Wangpicheon Valley and Donghae (departing from Daejeon Station)." Each site will accommodate 25 participants, who will be transported on a chartered bus. Two participants will share one accommodation. (Yeongwol Eco Village, Uljin Geumgangsong Ecorium). 

The program costs approximately KRW 120,000 per person (actual expense). Applications will be accepted from Monday, April 17 at 10 AM on the Travel Club website (www.tc1.co.kr, 02-2277-5155), a Korean travel agency. The results will be announced on the Travel Club website on Tuesday, May 9, at 2 PM, and selected individuals will be notified individually.

The Ministry of Environment has selected 29 ecological landscape preservation areas as ecotourism destinations since 2013 to educate the public on the importance of the ecosystem through experience programs. Furthermore, the Ministry has improved ecotourism foundations by training national environment commentators for the ecotourism areas and building eco-friendly accommodations (Eco Villages). The Ministry has also developed various ecotourism programs.

The Donggang River and the Wangpicheon Valley areas were designated ecological landscape preservation areas in 2002 and 2005, respectively. These areas were also designated as the first ecotourism destinations in 2013. The Donggang River and the Wangpicheon Valley are optimal destinations for ecotourism due to their excellent vegetation and outstanding natural landscapes. 

This year's ecotourism experience includes meals made from local agricultural products and guided explanations by professional natural environment commentators. It will allow visitors to experience famous ecotourism sites in Pyeongchang and Uljin, such as Baekryeong Cave, Cheongryeongpo, Donggang River, Wangpicheon Valley, and Seongnyugul Cave. 

The Ministry plans to provide KRW 3 million worth of Onnuri gift cards to participants of the ecotourism program. Participants who upload reviews of their experiences on their social media platforms, such as YouTube, blogs, etc., are eligible. Detailed information on the ecotourism program can be found in the 2023 Spring Ecotourism Participants Recruitment Notice" posted on the websites of Korea Ecotourism Story (eco-tour.kr), the Korean Ecotourism Society (ecotourism.or.kr), and Travel Club (tc1.co.kr).

Kim Jong-ryul, Director-General of the Nature Conservation Bureau of the Ministry of Environment, stated, "With the upcoming spring ecotourism experience, we hope to raise awareness among the public about the wise utilization of ecological resources." He added, "The Ministry of Environment expects domestic ecotourism destinations to be unique travel destinations for travelers and to revitalize the local economy."

Contact: Kim Se-jin, Deputy Director

Nature Park Division / +82-(0)44-201-7311

Foreign Media Contact: Chun Minjo(Rachel)

+82-(0)44-201-6055 / rachelmchun@korea.kr