Seoul: The defense ministry announced on Wednesday a plan to ease the boundaries of the military-controlled buffer zone along the inter-Korean border to allow wider civilian access and promote regional development.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Civilian Control Line (CCL), which serves as a buffer zone within 10 kilometers south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) through the Demilitarized Zone separating North and South Korea, will be reduced to an average distance of 6 km. Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back detailed this plan during a briefing, emphasizing the need to adjust the CCL to better align with evolving security environments amid a decline in military manpower.
The CCL was originally established after the 1950-53 Korean War to limit civilian access and secure military operations along the fortified inter-Korean border. It currently extends up to 7 km south of the MDL along the western front and up to 10 km south along the eastern front. However, it has also hindered local residents by restricting land development and complicating daily activities.
The Lee Jae Myung government has been actively working to shift the CCL boundaries further north, aiming to relax property development restrictions and enhance the quality of life for residents in the region. Under the new plan, the CCL will transition from a Controlled Protection Zone to a Restricted Protection Zone, permitting land development and construction subject to approval by relevant authorities.
This initiative will impact approximately 270 square km, an area about 90 times the size of Yeouido in western Seoul. In addition, the ministry plans to lift restrictions on around 450 square km of the Restricted Protection Zone to facilitate private property development.
The proposed measures will undergo a series of reviews by the defense ministry, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and local governments, and are expected to be implemented in phases. The ministry also intends to dismantle military structures that have lost tactical significance, such as anti-tank walls, in 23 locations including Paju and Yanggu in Gangwon Province.
Looking forward, the government aims to streamline the approval process for civilian access to the CCL through mobile applications and authentication by 2027. Additionally, the ministry will simplify approval procedures for agricultural drones used in farms within the border regions.