[Newsmaker] Restricted military areas to be opened up

Restricted military areas in South Korea, concentrated in regions adjacent to Seoul, will be opened up to the public for business development, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea said Thursday.

The areas to be affected are mostly near Seoul in surrounding Gyeonggi and Gangwon provinces, and cover 77 square kilometers -- roughly 27 times the size of Seoul’s financial district of Yeouido. The areas would include regions as far away as the Chungcheong and Gyeongsang provinces, the party said.

Once the changes take effect in February, municipalities will be able to run businesses at the sites without consulting the military. The government said it had also eased regulations on other areas under military jurisdiction so more companies can run businesses as long as they do not interfere with military operations.

Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo said, “We will work to the advantage of local residents while taking steps to ensure that such change does not affect military operations.”

The government addressed repeated calls from regional municipalities bordering the Demilitarized Zone, which separates the two Koreas, that it needs to adjust the civilian control line -- an area roughly 5-20 kilometers south of the DMZ that bans civilian entry.

“We agree more people should be able to go there, so that the place starts to prosper. Additional easing of regulations in underway to make that happen,” said Lee In-young, the ruling party’s floor leader.

By Choi Si-young (siyoungchoi@heraldcorp.com)