South Korea's Defense Ministry announced plans Wednesday to move the boundaries of the Civilian Control Line closer to the inter-Korean border. In this file photo, a South Korean military guard post is seen near the DMZ in Paju on February 12, 2021. File Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
SEOUL, June 17 (UPI) -- South Korea's Defense Ministry announced plans Wednesday to reduce the size of the military-controlled buffer zone along the heavily fortified border with North Korea, easing decades-old restrictions on access to frontier areas in a move aimed at promoting regional development.
The ministry said it would begin a phased adjustment of the Civilian Control Line, or CCL, from 2027, allowing greater civilian access to areas near the Demilitarized Zone that have long been subject to military controls.
Established following the 1950-53 Korean War, the CCL restricts civilian access to sensitive areas south of the DMZ. The line currently extends as far as 6.2 miles south of the Military Demarcation Line in some areas.
The Defense Ministry said changing security conditions, advances in surveillance technology and a shrinking pool of military manpower have prompted a reassessment of the decades-old system.
