DMZ Development Plans

From Symbol of War to Ecological Peace Belt

It is often said that the Korean Peninsula is the world's last Cold War frontier divided into the capitalist South and the communist North. The nation fought the Korean War from 1950 to 1953. Before the fratricidal conflict, the peninsula was divided at the 38th Parallel. A similar demarcation was drawn at the end of the war and both sides set up the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) along the newly-established border. The DMZ, 248 kilometers long and 4 kilometers wide, has long been a forbidden area, serving as the buffer zone between the two rivals.

Needless to say, the DMZ was and is the symbol of war, division, confrontation and national tragedy. But it has recently begun to be recognized as a treasure for its pristine ecosystem of flora and fauna, which has been untouched by human hands for almost six decades. As a result, policymakers, scholars, ecologists and environmental activists are increasingly showing their interest in the preservation of the DMZ and its utilization to promote peace not only in Korea but also around the world.

Against this backdrop, the Seoul government on Wednesday announced long-term basic plans to turn the DMZ into an ecological peace belt. It decided to have the DMZ designated as a biosphere zone by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The decision is aimed at better preserving the area which boasts a variety of rare species as well as contains historic and cultural heritages.

The plans also include the creation of a U.N. peace conference hall and a U.N. peace university as part of efforts to heal the wounds of war and overcome Cold War conflicts between the two Koreas. Furthermore, the government is seeking to build a bridge connecting the South's Incheon International Airport to the North's border town of Gaeseong, where the inter-Korean industrial complex is located.

In addition, the government is considering creating a joint tourism site by linking Mt. Seorak in the South and Mt. Geumgang in the North. It also plans to build a green technology valley for new materials and renewable energy sources as part of the nation's low-carbon growth strategy. Those plans will no doubt provide great opportunities for the nation to advocate peace, lessen ideological confrontations, promote reconciliation and co-prosperity on the peninsula, and preserve the DMZ ecology. In the business side, such plans are expected to bring great potential to the nation in terms of ecotourism and clean technology.

But the government should conduct sufficient field studies on the ecosystem of the DMZ and make thorough preparations to smoothly push for the projects. First, the South is required to work together with the North to ensure the success of the plans. It goes without saying that such projects cannot be implemented without cooperation from Pyongyang. The unilateral announcement of the plans is as good as a pipe dream at a time when the two Koreas have yet to improve their ties amid the North's nuclear standoff and hostility toward the South.

Second, the government should address concerns about an adverse ecological impact of its development programs on the DMZ. No one wants the well-preserved DMZ to be destroyed by the projects. Therefore, the most pertinent thing centers on how to develop the DMZ into an ecological peace zone without leaving human footprints. It is easier said than done.