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South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yeon-chul responds to questions during an audit by the National Assembly’s Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee on Oct. 21.

The South Korean government and UN Command (UNC) are holding discussions on the UNC’s right to approve or refuse access to the DMZ for nonmilitary purposes, it was revealed on Oct. 22. The discussions appear to be taking place after remarks that the UNC’s disallowance of access even for nonmilitary purposes such as inter-Korean change has an inadequate basis in terms of the Armistice Agreement and requires additional institutional changes. 

“Intensive discussions from the working level to the senior level are taking place on different issues and in different channels concerning the issue of [DMZ] access,” said Choi Hyun-soo, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND), in a briefing that day. 

“They will continue holding close discussions going forward,” she added. At the senior level, chief of the MND national defense policy office and the UNC deputy commander were reportedly participating in the discussions. Sources said the two met in mid-September to discuss forming a senior-level consultative body for DMZ access and other issues. 

The South Korean government reportedly plans to focus on institutionalizing regulations concerning access to the DMZ for nonmilitary purposes. The Ministry of Unification (MOU) and other related agencies are also expected to take part in the discussion process, depending on the issues. An MOU official told reporters the same day, “Our emphasis is on institutional measures [for DMZ access].” 

“We’re going to be examining standards, procedures, and so forth to be reflected in institutions, regulations, and manuals,” the official said. 

During the discussions, the UNC reportedly balked at the idea of allowing DMZ access even for nonmilitary purposes, citing security issues. In particular, it was quoted as voicing concerns about the potential violation of North Korea sanctions with items taken into North Korea over the DMZ’s Military Demarcation Line (MDL). During a parliamentary audit the day before by the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, Minister of Unification Kim Yeon-chul acknowledged, “There have been differences in opinion [between Seoul and the UNC] concerning access to the DMZ and crossing the MDL.” 

The UNC’s controls on DMZ access are based on the Korean Armistice Agreement, which states, “No person, military or civilian, shall be permitted to enter the demilitarized zone except persons concerned with the conduct of civil administration and relief and persons specifically authorized to enter by the Military Armistice Commission.” 

“Civil administration and relief in that part of the demilitarized zone which is south of the military demarcation line shall be the responsibility of the Commander-in-Chief, United Nations Command,” the agreement also says. But some argue that the agreement’s reference to “said conditions and terms [being] intended to be purely military in character,” some have contended that it serves as an inadequate basis for the UNC to deny access of a nonmilitary nature.

On Oct. 22, the UNC released a statement claiming that media reports regarding the UNC’s control of the DMZ are “inaccurate,” adding that it approved more than 93% of the approximately 2,200 requests it received for access to the DMZ in 2018.

By Yoo Kang-moon and Lee Je-hun, senior staff writers

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