PAJU — Paju, a city in Gyeonggi Province bordering North Korea, is pushing to move the Civilian Control Line northward and relocate the checkpoint at Unification Bridge. The plan aims to ease daily inconveniences for residents living under access restrictions while opening historical and cultural sites inside the restricted zone to tourism to help revive the local economy.
Paju Mayor Son Bae-chan visited the Army's 1st Infantry Division, which oversees the area, on the 21st and formally requested the northward shift of the control line and the relocation of the Unification Bridge checkpoint, the city said on the 22nd.
"Long-standing access restrictions imposed by the control line and the checkpoint have severely limited residents' exercise of property rights and their daily lives," Son said in a meeting with military officials. "Adjusting the Civilian Control Line is necessary if we are to boost tourism using historical and cultural resources such as the tomb of the physician Heo Jun and Deokjin Fortress, and link that to regional development."
The city expects that moving the line northward would remove some currently restricted areas from the controlled zone, improving conditions for residents to move freely and exercise property rights. It also anticipates that better access for visitors would widen the use of historical and cultural sites located inside the line.
The 1st Infantry Division said it shares the view that residents' inconveniences should be eased and local tourism promoted. "Once an adjustment to the Civilian Control Line is finalized at the Defense Ministry level, we will carry out follow-up measures without disruption," a division official said.
Based on its consultations with the local military unit, Paju plans to flesh out the proposals for adjusting the control line and relocating the checkpoint before formally submitting them to the Ministry of National Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Because final authority over any adjustment rests with the ministry, the city said it will continue follow-up talks with the relevant agencies.
"We have held continuous talks with the military with the goal of making security and regional development work together," Son said. "I will make sure we produce visible results during my term."
