Unlocking the Future: How the Dongseo Trail Will Transform Korea’s Outdoor Tourism by 2027

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[JoyNews24 reporter Kim Yang-su] The Korea Forest Service (Commissioner Park Eun-sik) said March 27 that it held “East–West Trail Meeting Day” at The Plaza Hotel in Seoul to establish a public-private collaboration framework.

The event, organized as a public-private partnership to help the East–West Trail — set to fully open in 2027 — get off to a successful, sustainable start, drew about 90 participants. Attendees included officials from the Korea Forest Service and the Korea Hiking & Trekking Support Center, along with representatives from outdoor brands, travel agencies, and platform companies.

The program featured eight presentations and discussions across three themes: sustainable operation and management of the East–West Trail; user characteristics and strategies for public-private cooperation; and the public sector’s role in activating the trail.

Centering its vision of the trail as “Korea’s signature forest path connecting people, communities and nature,” the Forest Service shared policy directions and progress on trail development. It also outlined plans to promote a trail culture suited to long-distance hiking and proposed medium- to long-term areas for public-private collaboration.

Private-sector speakers offered practical collaboration examples, from user analysis based on travel-platform data to content development tied to backpacking festivals and the outdoor industry.

They also shared lessons from running the Korea Dullegil and discussed media and PR strategies, helping position the East–West Trail to evolve beyond a simple forest path into a national showcase that links tourism, local economies and the outdoor sector.

“When a trail opens, people come. When people come, local economies revive,” said Jo Young-hee, director of the Forest Welfare Bureau at the Korea Forest Service. “The East–West Trail will connect people to people and village to village, becoming Korea’s premier trail where beautiful forest landscapes harmonize with local culture and tourism.”