A group of international activists planning to cross the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) have opted to use a land route suggested by the South Korean government.
 
The South Korean office of WomenCrossDMZ told KBS over the phone on Friday that the group changed its initial plan, which would have seen 30 activists cross the border through the truce village of Panmunjeom.
 
The office said the change was inevitable in the face of opposition from the South Korean government and the United Nations Command, who had warned that passing through Panmunjeom would violate the truce agreement.  
 
The activists, who hope to draw attention to the division of the two Koreas, planned to cross Panmunjeom for its symbolic meaning. However, the South Korean government had suggested changing the plan, citing the safety of the activists and complex customs procedure at the truce village.
 
Thirty activists will instead use the inter-Korean Gyeongui Highway, a route used by South Korean officials when visiting the Gaeseong Industrial Complex.
 
WomenCrossDMZ, comprising 30 female activists from 15 countries, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Mairead Maguire of Northern Ireland, arrived in Pyongyang on Tuesday, and have been attending reception ceremonies and tourist programs arranged by the North.
 
They will cross the DMZ into the South on Sunday and hold a press conference at the immigration office in Paju, Gyeonggi Province.