Heavily fortified North Korea border area a magnet for tourists

Foreign tourists participating in DMZ tour walk past a military fence near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, in Paju, South Korea July 19, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

PAJU, South Korea (Reuters) - Only hours after U.S. Private Travis T. King fled into North Korea while taking part in an organised tour on the heavily fortified border, groups of tourists coming from the South Korean side were still visiting the area on Wednesday.

Going to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, which remain technically at war, is a popular trip for tourists looking to get a glimpse of the reclusive authoritarian state.