South Korea to shrink security buffer zone to North Korea

While the South and North Korean militaries warily eye each other across the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two countries, Seoul's Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday that farmers and residents will be allowed to access a bit more land near the heavily fortified border starting in 2027.

The ministry said it would shrink the Civilian Control Line (CCL), a military-controlled buffer zone south of the border, from 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) to an average of 6 kilometers.

"The CCL was established to restrict civilian access and guarantee military operations, but there have been growing calls for a need to complement its actual control measures," South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said.

"We have come up with an adjustment plan for the CCL to adapt to future security environments amid shrinking military manpower, while ensuring operational conditions," Ahn added.

Restrictions on life near the border

South Koreans require the military's permission to live or farm in the area. Analysts have said locals face significant economic disadvantages.

"We will enable regional development to the extent that it does not interfere with military operations," Ahn said.

Residents welcomed the move, saying it would allow more farming activities in the area and boost development and tourism.

Councilor Park Heung-yeol of Ganghwa County told the AFP news agency that construction even on privately owned land within the controlled area requires military approval.

What is the Civilian Control Line?

The two Koreas officially remain at war because the war ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.

The CCL was established after the 1950-53 Korean War to control access and protect military installations along the border between South Korea and North Korea. It currently extends up to 7 kilometers south of the Military Demarcation Line, the border between the countries, in the west and up to 10 kilometers in the east.

While the CCL provides a security buffer zone for the South, it also complicates the daily lives of residents seeking to develop their land.

Kim Deok-hyeon, mayor of Yeoncheon county near the inter-Korean border, told AFP the measures would "significantly alleviate the inconvenience faced by local farmers."

The measures include a significant simplification of flight approval procedures for agricultural drones.

Analysts said the measure was unlikely to upset Pyongyang, as it concerns areas on the South's side of the border.

Last year, South Korea removed loudspeakers used to blast K-pop and news broadcasts into the North, as the Lee Jae Myung government sought to ease tensions with its diplomatically isolated, nuclear-armed neighbor.

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Edited by: Rana Taha

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