Flags of South Korea and North Korea in the demilitarized zone. (Yonhap)
Flags of South Korea and North Korea in the demilitarized zone. (Yonhap)

Pending bills concerning civilian and nonmilitary use of the Demilitarized Zone do not violate the armistice agreement, the Ministry of Unification said Thursday.

The comments came a day after the United Nations Command, which holds jurisdiction over the DMZ, raised concerns with related bills.

"The government respects the National Assembly's legislative powers, and will cooperate with discussions in legislating DMZ-related bills," the Unification Ministry said.

"As the bills include steps involving consultations with the UNC regarding access to the DMZ, the bills do not clash in any way with the armistice agreement."

At present, three bills regarding the use of the DMZ have been proposed, but have made little progress, remaining in the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee.

The ministry official also said that the bills stipulate consultations with the UNC, not their agreement, so do not violate the UNC's authority, as the UNC's location means that the process of consultation would require authorization in the first place.

On Wednesday, the UNC expressed concerns over the bills, saying they were not only in conflict with the armistice agreement, but also could expose civilians to danger and aggravate cross-border tension.

Speaking to reporters, a UNC official said that South Korean government taking back jurisdiction over the southern half of the DMZ would be in "direct conflict with the armistice agreement."

The official said allowing civilians to enter the DMZ without the UNC commander's authorization would constitute an armistice violation, warning that civilian actions could also trigger violations.


cheesuk@heraldcorp.com