Limited civilian tours of the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom will resume on Friday for the first time in 18 months, according to Seoul, following a lengthy suspension due to heightened tensions with North Korea and the high-profile defection of U.S. soldier Travis King.

South Korea’s unification ministry announced on Thursday that a special tour will take place on Friday for 17 trainees from the Unification Policy Leadership program under the National Institute for Unification Education. 

This special tour is part of a limited reopening of the Joint Security Area for what the ministry referred to as “policy clients,” which