Military zones near border to be lifted

Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo, right, speaks during a consultative meeting with the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) at the National Assembly, Wednesday. The government and DPK agreed Wednesday to lift some restricted military zones in border areas to ease residents' inconvenience. / Yonhap

By Park Ji-won

The government and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) agreed Wednesday to lift the restricted military zone designation for some areas of the border region with North Korea.

The Ministry of National Defense and the ruling DPK held a consultative meeting and decided to lift restrictions on 337 square kilometers of controlled military land at 21 sites, the largest amount since 1994.

“People will be able build and develop facilities without consulting the military authorities as their property rights will be returned to them, and this will boost the local economy in those areas,” DPK chief policymaker Kim Tae-nyeon said after the meeting.

The move comes in line with the two Korea's efforts to ease military tension along the border and boost exchanges. Under inter-Korean agreements, the two Koreas finished demolishing 10 guard posts on each side of the border recently.

Linking the two countries' rail networks is also being explored with an inspection of North Korea's tracks currently underway.

The areas where restrictions will be lifted are mostly along the border in Gangwon and Gyeonggi provinces, the ministry said, adding the owners want to develop them for commercial purpose. It said the lifting of the designation was limited to areas that will not affect military operations.

Restrictions were lifted for about 197 square kilometers in Hwacheon County, and 24 square kilometers in Gimpo, both in Gyeonggi Province.

The defense ministry said it also decided to ease restrictions on 13.2 square kilometers of land where new construction had been restricted. Through consultation with the military, residents in the region can now develop the land.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), meanwhile, decided to transfer the consultation work to local governments to approve construction proposals in 24.7 square kilometers land in the border region.

The local governments will have the authority to approve buildings of a certain height, so residents will not have to deal with the military, the ministry explained.

The JCS also decided to automate entry processes into controlled zones near the border to simplify the process.

Presently, to enter a controlled zone, civilians need to undergo an identity check by the military, and there have been complaints due to the long time taken, the ministry said.

The defense ministry will introduce an RFID system at 48 entry control posts, which will reduce the time for about 30,000 residents and tourists visiting the border village of Panmunjeom annually among others.