South Korea to shrink security buffer zone to North Korea
Key takeaways
- South Korea will ease restrictions on roughly 270 square kilometers of land near the border with North Korea.
- 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.
- "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.
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
South Korea will ease restrictions on roughly 270 square kilometers of land near the border with North Korea. Farmers in the area had long complained of rules that complicated working conditions.
https://p.dw.com/p/5FXhm South Korean residents will have access to more land, but military operations, like these drills with the US, in the area will not be affected, the defense minister said [FILE: Mar 14, 2026]Image: Seung-il Ryu/Nur Photo/picture alliance Advertisement 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.