Korea to shorten Civilian Control Line-DMZ distance to as little as 5 km: defense chief
Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back / Yonhap
Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said Tuesday that the government is considering narrowing the distance of the Civilian Control Line (CCL) from the inter-Korean border in order to ease inconveniences faced by residents in border areas.
Ahn made the remarks during a parliamentary interpellation session on foreign affairs and security in the day.
"The Lee Jae Myung government is considering reducing the Civilian Control Line to as little as 5 kilometers from the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), depending on the region," Ahn said.
"This measure is intended to address property losses and daily inconveniences experienced by residents in border areas," he added.
Since the early 1970s, the CCL has been set at varying distances of 27 km, 20 km, 15 km or 10 km south of the MDL that runs through the center of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
The DMZ, which stretches about 250 km in length and 4 km in width, has served as a buffer between the two Koreas since the end of the 1950–53 Korean War.