통일부 "DMZ 평화적 이용 종합계획 검토 중"
Seoul's unification ministry is swiftly taking actions... to realize President Moon's vision of 'global peace zone'.
It says it is now devising a comprehensive plan... to turn the president's proposal... into reality.
Arirang's Oh Jung-hee tells us more.
Efforts are underway within the South Korean government to realize President Moon Jae-in's idea of making peaceful use of the inter-Korean Demilitarized Zone.
Seoul's unification ministry said at its regular press briefing on Wednesday:
"The Ministry of Unification is currently leading efforts to review and devise a comprehensive plan to peacefully use the DMZ. We will be working with related experts and government ministries."
Speaking at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, President Moon proposed turning the Demilitarized Zone into a peace zone.
He laid out specific action plans... like listing the DMZ as a UNESCO World Heritage site, designating a (quote)"peace cooperation district" between the border village of Panmunjeom and North Korean city of Gaeseong, stationing UN agencies within the DMZ, and working with the UN to remove landmines from the area.
If international institutions were brought into the zone, that would help further lower military tensions along the inter-Korean border.
However, these goals are more long-term than short-term, because the DMZ is shared with the North and the Seoul government is not yet sure on how it will work with Pyeongyang.
"There will be some things we could do in a short period of time, but also those aspects that will have to be carried out in the mid-to-long term. It's too early for us to tell you our specific plans to discuss with the North."
The idea of transforming the DMZ into a peace zone was floated when President Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met for the first time in April last year.
It was once again brought up in September when the two Koreas signed a comprehensive military agreement to lower tensions at the DMZ.
Oh Jung-hee, Arirang News.
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