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South Korea to shorten civilian control line-DMZ distance to as little as 5 kilometers: Defense chief

Published: 17 Sep. 2025, 13:37 Updated: 17 Sep. 2025, 15:37

A transmission tower with no power lines stands abandoned among the overgrowth along the Gyeongui Line road in the Demilitarized Zone on the western front, as seen from Dora Observatory in Paju, Gyeonggi, on Sept. 3. [YONHAP]

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said on Tuesday that the government is considering narrowing the distance of the civilian control line (CCL) from the inter-Korean border to ease the inconveniences faced by residents in border areas.

Ahn made the remarks during a parliamentary interpellation session on foreign affairs and security that day.

"The Lee Jae Myung government is considering reducing the CCL to as little as 5 kilometers [3.1 miles] from the military demarcation line [MDL], depending on the region," Ahn said.

"This measure is intended to address property losses and daily inconveniences experienced by residents in border areas," he added.

Since the early 1970s, the CCL has been set at varying distances of 27 kilometers, 20 kilometers, 15 kilometers or 10 kilometers south of the MDL, which runs through the center of the demilitarized zone (DMZ).

The DMZ, which stretches about 250 kilometers in length and 4 kilometers in width, has served as a buffer between the two Koreas since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.

Yonhap