Mountain behind Cheong Wa Dae to fully open to public

SEOUL, April 5 (Yonhap) -- The mountain sitting behind Cheong Wa Dae will fully open to the public this week after being off-limits for decades for security reasons, officials said Tuesday.

The section that will newly open Wednesday is the southern side of Mount Bukak, which was largely closed to the public after a North Korean commando infiltration in 1968.

The 31 commandos were on a mission to assassinate then-President Park Chung-hee and hid in the mountain for two weeks before all but two were killed.

Cheong Wa Dae officials said the new section will connect a previously disconnected trail and allow citizens to fully enjoy trekking in the city's mountains.

President Moon Jae-in and first lady Kim Jung-sook took a walk along the southern side Tuesday afternoon to mark its opening.

With the opening, Moon will fulfill his campaign pledge to return Mount Bukak to the public, officials said.

The northern side was opened to the public in November 2020.

A limited area of the mountain is expected to remain off-limits for security purposes.

hague@yna.co.kr
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