[Territorial Policy in Korea ( 22 )] From war`s vestige to peace, ecology belt

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This is the 22nd installment in a series of articles shedding light on Korea`s territorial policies - an integral part of the nation`s development strategy. Researchers from the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements, a state-run institute committed to studying means of enhancing the use of national territory, will deal with about two dozen themes related to formulating the territorial development strategy. - Ed.



By Lee Seung-bok and Kim Eun-jung



The Demilitarized Zone was created under the armistice treaty that halted the Korean War in 1953. The South-North Border Region around the DMZ has been heavily fortified and the vast adjacent areas were designated as the Military Installation Protection Area.

For the past 60 years, civilians` access and economic activity have been tightly restricted in the Border Region. Such regulations have stunted the region`s development, depressed its economy perennially and left living conditions lagging far behind the rest of the nation.

The past decade has witnessed a remarkable thawing in ties between the two Koreas. Cross-border rails of Gyeongui Line and Donghae Line were reconnected. South Koreans have been allowed to tour the North`s Mount Geumgang resort, though these tours are now suspended. The South`s capital and the North`s labor have created a vibrant industrial complex in the North`s border town of Gaeseong.

However, scant efforts were made to develop the Border Region. Fundamental measures should be set up and carried out in order to revitalize the region and help fulfill its long-term potential as the geographical center of the Korean Peninsula.



There is an urgent need for systemic, concrete studies and policy support to boost the region`s economy and improve dwelling conditions. Inter-Korean cooperation projects should be pushed both to propel regional development and, more broadly, to enable an effective use of the central area of the territory in preparation for a reunification of the two Koreas.



History and spatial

characteristics

The Border Region consists of the DMZ, the Civilian Control Zone and its adjacent cities and counties. The Military Demarcation Line is the horizontal extension of the real ceasefire line between the United Nations and North Korean militaries, spanning 248 kilometers on land from Goseong to Ganghwa and an additional 200 kilometers on the sea to Baekryeong Island on the West Sea. Under the Military Armistice Treaty signed on July 27, 1953, the two sides moved their troops back 2 kilometers from the ceasefire line, creating the 4-kilometer-wide strip of buffer zone. The southern part of the DMZ is controlled by the U.N. Military Armistice Commission. The areas within 10 kilometers from the MDL have been designated as the CCZ, into which civilians` entry is restricted. The Military Installation Protection Area is within 25 kilometers from the MDL and is divided into the Control Protection Area and Limitation Protection Area. In terms of the administrative jurisdiction, the Bother Region comprises 15 cities and counties in Incheon, Gyeonggi and Gangwon.

Similarly, North Korea is known to restrict civilians` travel in areas within about 20 kilometers from the border with the South.

Six national roads serve as main transport routes connecting the South and the North in the Border Region. Additionally, there are six provincial roads and four railways. Two railways of Gyeongui Line and Donghae Line and some national roads have been connected but the others remain severed around the southern end of the CCZ.

As the frontier areas between the two states which are still technically at war, the Border Region shows some distinctive spatial features.

First, it is characterized by persisting hostility and possibility of conflict between the two sides standing face to face with immense military power.

Second, despite this, it is the best place for inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation. The two countries set out limited cooperative projects such as the Mount Geumgang tours and the Gaeseong complex in the border areas of North Korea.

Third, the region is abundant in undeveloped land as a result of decades of restrictions on civilian access and economic activity. Its well-preserved nature also provides for superb biodiversity. The UNESCO is considering designating it as a Biosphere Reserve.

Fourth, it boasts of plenty of historical and cultural assets. Historically, states vied for control of the strategically crucial region, which allowed them to dominate the whole peninsula. So, the DMZ and adjacent areas are dotted with heritages covering almost all periods from the Paleolithic Age to modern times. It also has rich water resources, vast plains, hills and fields and favorable conditions for outward advancement.

Fifth, it is a politically, internationally and artificially formed sphere. A vestige of the Cold War, the DMZ was borne out of the truce signed by the United Nations, North Korea and China. It is a place of confrontation between two different state systems and attracts high international attention.



Development strategies

Crossing the peninsula by half, the Border Region could and should be developed into the center of inter-Korean exchanges and cooperation. Serving as the military buffer zone, it should be used as the locus of inter-Korean drive to build mutual trust in political and military terms and eventually a permanent peace system. Regional development should be expedited to raise the quality of life and the level of income. Cross-border exchanges in the region will also play a leading role in boosting economic cooperation in Northeast Asia, which is greatly affected by the geopolitical situation of the peninsula.

As part of its supra-regional territorial policy, the government established a basic plan to develop the Border Region Peace and Eco Belt in 2009. The plan set three major goals: 1) maximizing the value of clean ecological resources, 2) establishing a base of inter-Korean exchanges and international peace and 3) promoting a sustainable regional development. The plan also presented five strategic tasks to achieve the objectives: 1) building a DMZ eco-tourism belt, 2) establishing facilities symbolic of world peace, 3) forging inter-Korean exchange and cooperation, 4) expanding transport infrastructure and 5) developing new growth engines for a unified Korean Peninsula. A comprehensive development plan is being formulated.

1) DMZ eco-tourism belt: The DMZ, the world`s sole place with both historical and ecological resources, should be systemically managed and developed into the center of inter-Korean peace and reconciliation. It also has a high potential to grow into a world-class tourist attraction through links with various resources around the area. The government is pushing projects to build global eco-peace parks, a coastal cruise complex and a bike travel path. Eco-peace parks will be built in five areas to preserve the ecosystem, symbolize peace and develop tourism. The cruise terminal project aims to develop a high value-added international tourism product utilizing areas around the DMZ and the Northern Limit Line. A bicycle path will be built connecting key tourist sites in the region, as a section of a nationwide network of bike-only roads under construction.

2) Symbol of global peace: The region needs to overcome its fixed image as a war vestige and transform itself into a place symbolic of global peace and cooperation. The government is drawing up a plan to establish a U.N.-sponsored hospital complex to cure and rehabilitate landmine victims. It also seeks to host international organizations, including a U.N.-mandated peace-themed university, to arouse international awareness of peace in the region and the world.

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3) Inter-Korean cooperation: Areas adjacent to the DMZ and the Han River estuary will be designated as inter-Korean exchange and cooperation districts. Given the need for ecological protection and the military circumstances, those districts should be easily accessible from both Koreas, equipped with sufficient infrastructure facilities and capable of serving as regional centers. In the supra-regional development plan, the government has chosen Paju (linked with North Korea`s Gaeseong) Cheorwon (with Pyeonggang), Goseong (with a North Korean city with the same name) as fitting for such districts. Considering their resources, conditions and surrounding environment, the government considers focusing Paju on industrial cooperation, Cheorwon on logistics and Goseong on tourism.

4) Transport infrastructure: To deliver the potential of regional and national development in the future of a unified Korea, there is a need to improve the poor social overhead capital of the geographical center of the Korean Peninsula. To that end, the government seeks to build a 250-kilometer, east-west road from Ganghwa to Goseong, which would serve as a key logistics network for the local and national economy. A large South-North bridge on the West Sea will be built for a transport link from Yeongjong Island where Incheon International Airport is located and Ganghwa Island to Yeonan and Gaepung. Yeonan and Gaepung are gateways to Haeju and Gaeseong, respectively, which are major cities in North Korea. The government is also considering a project to build an overland transport system for natural gas to be introduced from Russia for stable energy supply. Transport links between the South and the North will be restored to help enhance regional and national competitiveness in an era of a unified peninsula.

5) New national growth engines: Restrictions on access and development for security and environmental protection have hindered the region`s economic growth. But the region has a high potential to make a growth center of a unified peninsula, thanks to its location at the center of the territory and unique geographical conditions. The government plans to build two MICE (meeting, incentive, convention and exhibition) complexes, which will create high economic values without harming the environment. Seeking to lay the groundwork for the green energy industry utilizing the region`s topography and climate, the government seeks to establish cutting-edge industrial complexes specializing in display device parts, new materials and parts, and renewable energies. A Peace Village project will be pushed in harmony with historical and ecological resources in order to improve roads, housing and other living conditions, especially of villages inside the CCZ.



Conclusion

The natural environment is diverse and valuable from west to east in the Border Region including the DMZ. A vast plain in the lower Imjin River basin stretches to the western coast. Cheorwon Plain occupies the central part. Beautiful mountains and coastline adorn the center-east section. Cross-border exchanges and cooperation in the region will greatly contribute to the improvement of inter-Korean relations, thus laying the groundwork for a reunification that is harmonious and not chaotic. So far, in promoting economic cooperation Pyongyang has aimed at economic benefits while Seoul intends to promote peaceful co-existence and lay the foundation for reunification. In the future, private sector-led economic cooperation will play an important role in easing tension and opening up North Korea.

The government is formulating a comprehensive plan for the Border Region`s development and inter-Korean cooperation. For the plan to be implemented more effectively, a coordination mechanism should be established involving central government branches, provincial governments and private experts. Related laws and institutional systems to support the development should be in place. The Border Region Support Act should be revised in line with the government`s new supra-regional border belt development plan. Continuous and stable funding is essential to the long-term plan that braces for a reunited Korea. It could be covered by the general account budget or a special funding scheme. To attract private capital, project financing like a build-transfer-lease program, tax incentives and subsidies should be considered. Besides, there are plentiful tasks to facilitate exchanges and economic collaboration between the divided Koreas including forging a consensus among countries involved in the armistice treaty to redress the current status of a ceasefire as well as reinforcing inter-Korean exchange treaty systems.