South Korea has announced plans to ease civilian restrictions along its heavily militarised border with North Korea, allowing people to move closer to the frontier under revised access rules, the defence ministry said on Wednesday.
Under the current system, a Civilian Control Line (CCL) restricts access to areas within 10 kilometres of the border south of the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), which separates the two Koreas. The measure was originally designed to protect sensitive military installations in the region.
According to Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back, the restricted zone will now be reduced to an average of six kilometres, significantly expanding access for civilians, including villagers, farmers and visitors living near the border areas. The changes are expected to open up more land for limited civilian activity while still maintaining military security.
The government said the adjustment is intended to improve convenience for local residents while ensuring that military operations remain unaffected. Authorities also plan to simplify approval procedures for agricultural drone flights, which are widely used in farming communities near the border.
Ahn Gyu-back emphasised that regional development will be encouraged as long as it does not interfere with defence requirements.
The move comes amid broader efforts by Seoul to ease tensions with North Korea. Last year, South Korea dismantled loudspeakers used to broadcast K-pop music and news into the North as part of a shift towards reducing hostilities under the current administration.
Relations between the two Koreas remain formally unresolved, as the 1950-53 war ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty, leaving the countries technically still at war and divided by the DMZ.
