DMZ Outlook.

[DMZ (Demilitarized zone) is the distributed area of 2km to south and north from the present cease-fire line set up according to the cease-fire agreement on 27th June 1953. The military demarcation line, 248km in length, crossing the Korean peninsula from the Gyodingdo, the mouth of Han river and Yea sung river goes through the Panmunjeom, the south of Gaeseong toward east, crossing the Cheorwon and Gimhwa reaches Myeonho-ri in Goseong.]

The dictionary definition specific area where the nation has no duty to maintain the military installation and stationing of military power. Our DMZ can be defined accordingly with the cease-fire agreement made in 1953. There is a military demarcation line of about 250km east and west between South and North Korea, 2km to south from this line is the South boundary and 2km to north is the North boundary. DMZ, the area between the south and north boundary is the buff area which was set up to prevent recurrence of a war and hostile act between South and North. And South Korean let this region to be managed by UN cease-fire committee.

The DMZ is about 5% of whole Korea peninsula. But the actual width is a bit less than 4km and the area got a bit smaller as the South boundary moved more to the North and North moved more to the South. The Civilian control zone is the area where entrance and exit of civilian is restricted for military operation as well as the prevention of military installment & security. From the 5~20km outside from the DMZ South boundary the Civilian control line is set up. This zone is specified from the DMZ. The Civilian control zone formed belt from eastern sea to western sea following the DMZ and is not set up in the sea. The time of set up, the standard total area was 1,528km²(1,048km² in Gangwon, 480km² in Gyeonggi) over 213 ri, 24 Myeon 14 cities & district and 2 province ( including residential region)such as Goseong, Injea, Hwacheon, Yanggu and Cherwon in Gangwon Province and Yeoncheon, Paju, Gimpo and Ganghwa in Gyeonggi province. The civilian control line was established with the official authority of the 8th American army commander in chief in Feb. 1954. The American army after the Korean war has ended, established return-to-soil line to restrict the residences to return farming and prohibited the entrance and exit of the residents from North. As Korean military took over a charge of the cease-fire prevention duty, Korean military allowed the entrance and exit farming and residential farming within the range of not disturbing the military plan and security on June 1958 and the name of the civilian control line has changed to return-to-soil line.

After the regulation right of the civilian control line has turned over to Korean military, according to the policy need to correspond to planned declaration village of North Korea and to raise the use of the land, established 99 independent safety villages from 1959, and 12 reconstructed villages between 1968~1973. And in 1973 2 unification villages were built. The villages built accordingly for the policy need, are 31 in Myun in 5 districts such as Goseong, Injae, Hwacheon, Yanggi and Cherwon in Gangwon province and 81 in 13 myeon in 4 districts such as Yeoncheon, Paju, Gimpo and Ganghwa in Gyeonggi. province and 81 in 13 myun in 4 districts such as Yeoncheon, Paju, Gimpo and Ganghwa in Gyunggi.

Again in Aug. 1953, the village of freedom, another name for Dassungdong village was set up at the south of military boundary line within the DMZ based on the agreement about the DMZ of residences so that there are about 112 villages in total in the northern region of the civilian control line. There are residences living in the Northern villages of the civilian control line. But the region where there is no residence, entrance and exit farming is allowed In 52 of ri in Gangwon provice and 51 of ri in Gyeonggi province, where administration district is not recovered, entrance and exit farmings are allowed actually operating the partial farming all over the northern civilian control line zone.