Unification minister backs bill giving gov't authority to grant DMZ access without UN Command approval
Published: 04 Dec. 2025, 16:32
Updated: 04 Dec. 2025, 18:48
![Unification Minister Chung Dong-young delivers remarks on the passage of bills during the seventh full session of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Nov. 28. [NEWS1]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/12/04/c5a10828-ce29-4e7e-93f7-51731d09af9b.jpg)
Unification Minister Chung Dong-young delivers remarks on the passage of bills during the seventh full session of the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee at the National Assembly in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Nov. 28. [NEWS1]
Unification Minister Chung Dong-young backed legislation on Wednesday that would let the government approve access to the demilitarized zone (DMZ) without seeking authorization from the United Nations Command (UNC). The command quickly pushed back, saying the armistice that ended the Korean War still governs entry into the area.
The exchange revived a familiar fault line: progressive administrations have periodically clashed with the United Nations Command over who controls access procedures to the DMZ.
Chung spoke at a public hearing on a package of bills that includes the Act on Supporting the Peaceful Use of the Demilitarized Zone, according to the Unification Ministry. He called the legislation necessary and said the DMZ had remained off-limits for decades.
“For 80 years since division and for the 72 years since the DMZ was created, this is an area that has never been touched," he said. “It is difficult to maintain our dignity as a sovereign state when access to a part of our own territory where we should rightly exercise sovereignty is restricted.”
Chung also revealed that “even recently, the first deputy director of the National Security Office was denied access to the Baengma Plateau remains recovery site,” adding that “this is exactly the kind of situation the government cannot overlook.” It was the first time Chung disclosed that Kim Hyun-chong’s planned visit had been blocked.
The Lee Jae Myung administration has conducted unilateral recovery operations for remains on the southern side of the DMZ, including at the Baengma Highland, as a preliminary step toward restoring the Sept. 19 inter-Korean military agreement.
Although Chung did not name the UNC directly, his remarks could be interpreted as a pointed critique of the command’s tight control over DMZ access, given its role as the body responsible for managing the Korean Armistice Agreement.
![Soldiers are seen near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the western front of the DMZ in Paju, Gyeonggi on July 26, 2022 in this file photo unrelated to the story. [YONHAP]](https://koreaseafood.online/data/photo/2025/12/04/9311e7b5-9779-4650-9289-e55c49c97e5a.jpg)
Soldiers are seen near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the western front of the DMZ in Paju, Gyeonggi on July 26, 2022 in this file photo unrelated to the story. [YONHAP]
In August, liberal Democratic Party lawmakers Lee Jae-gang and Han Jeoung-ae introduced bills to facilitate the use of the DMZ. Some of the bills state that “the unification minister may grant permission for entry or for bringing in goods and equipment for the preservation and peaceful use of the DMZ notwithstanding the Armistice Agreement,” creating an exceptional clause.
The language would allow the government to bypass the UNC — which administers the Armistice regime — when approving entry or transport.
The UNC issued a response, according to local outlet Yonhap News. The command said that the Armistice Agreement remains a binding framework governing all civilian and military access to the Armistice-controlled area, including the DMZ, adding that as the body responsible for enforcing the agreement, the UNC reviews all access requests in accordance with established procedures to ensure safety, compliance and regional stability.
Its position indicated that the denial of Deputy Director Kim’s entry was based on legitimate grounds and reinforced the binding nature of the armistice system, which the ruling bloc seeks to create exceptions to.
The command added that it will continue coordinated peace-building efforts in support of our shared security objectives, underscoring the need for coordination with the UNC on any government measures related to North Korea.
This is not the first time tensions have arisen between progressive governments and the UNC. Under the Moon Jae-in administration, a joint inter-Korean survey of the Gyeongui Line railway was delayed in 2018, and a 2019 plan to send Tamiflu flu medicine to North Korea ultimately fell through.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY LEE YU-JUNG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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