Rare view of N. Korean artillery draws 13,000 visitors to border park
More than 13,000 people visited Aegibong Peace Ecopark in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, over a 10-day period, to catch a rare glimpse of a North Korean self-propelled howitzer visible from the observatory. Despite the heightened tensions between the two Koreas, a total of 13,243 people visited the park from Oct. 26 to Nov. 4, up 7.5 percent from 12,321 during the same period last year, according to…
More than 13,000 individuals ventured to Aegibong Peace Ecopark in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, over a span of ten days to witness a rare sight of a North Korean self-propelled howitzer through the park's observatory. Despite escalating tensions between the two Koreas, the park saw a significant rise in visitors, with a total of 13,243 people visiting between October 26 and November 4, marking a 7.5 percent increase from the previous year's same period attendance of 12,321, as reported by Gimpo city on Sunday.
This surge in visitors followed the viral spread of images on local media, depicting a North Korean self-propelled howitzer positioned along the North Korean coastline, approximately 1.5 kilometers away from the observatory. Weekday visits surged notably, reaching up to 1,000 to 1,200 daily, a 35 percent increase compared to a year ago.
Conversely, weekend attendance declined by nearly 10 percent to 4,200 due to the park's current practice of limiting visitor numbers to 500 at any given time for safety precautions. The artillery, being visible through binoculars and telescopes from the observatory, is situated so close that it can be observed without difficulty. Nonetheless, North Korean troops have recently enveloped the weapon in camouflage.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
