Yeoncheon County in Gyeonggi Province proposed institutional reforms to secure the safety of border-area residents and revitalize the local economy at the "2nd Joint Conference on Peace and Safety in Border Areas," held on the 27th at the Ministry of Unification's main conference room in the Government Complex Seoul.
The meeting, chaired by the Minister of Unification, was attended by central government bodies including the Ministry of Unification, the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, as well as Incheon City, Gyeonggi Province, Gangwon State, and mayors and county chiefs of border areas. The conference discussed a reference proposal for local government ordinances to build a foundation for peaceful unification, progress made since the first meeting, and measures to maintain peace and revitalize the economy in border areas.
Yeoncheon County first explained the progress of the "Ordinance on Securing Safety in Yeoncheon County Border Areas," which was enacted in April. The ordinance provides a legal basis for preventing acts that could harm the lives, bodies and property of residents, such as the scattering of floating objects, the distribution of harmful substances and the infiltration of drones.
Yeoncheon County plans to strengthen cooperation systems with relevant agencies and continuously inspect risk factors, while creating a secure living environment through resident safety education and outreach.
The county then proposed three institutional reforms to the central government. First, it requested that the entry procedures for the "DMZ Peace Trail" and security tourism be simplified, and that operating personnel and frequency be expanded. Currently, major security tourism sites require advance applications seven days before a visit and the submission of visitor lists, while the DMZ Peace Trail theme routes operate at 20 people per session, twice a day, limiting the ability to attract tourists. The county proposed increasing the number of participants per session to 40.
In addition, the county requested that a special provision for the transfer of ground structures be added to the amendment of the "Special Act on Support for Border Areas," so that unused military land in border areas can be used for public purposes. The current amendment permits only the exchange of unused military land and public property, leaving no transfer provisions for local governments to use existing military facilities for public purposes.
Finally, the county proposed that relevant laws and regulations be revised to designate peace economy special zones suited to local characteristics. According to the county, the current system is centered on new development projects, making it difficult to include already-ongoing industrial, tourism and garden projects in the special zones.
Yeoncheon County Mayor Kim Deok-hyun said, "Residents of border areas have long endured various regulations and inconveniences for the sake of national security." He added, "Now, active institutional reform and support from the central government are needed so that border areas can develop beyond spaces of regulation and sacrifice into new spaces of opportunity where peace, ecology, tourism and industry coexist."
He continued, "While prioritizing the protection of residents' lives and safety, we will create tangible regional development results that residents can feel, through revitalizing DMZ tourism, the public use of unused military land, and the designation of peace economy special zones."
