Overview
- The Defense Ministry, which announced the package on June 17, said it will move the Civilian Control Line (CCL) north so the buffer averages about 6 km from the Military Demarcation Line.
- The ministry plans to redesignate the CCL from a Controlled Protection Zone to a Restricted Protection Zone and apply the change to roughly 270 square kilometers of land.
- Officials also said restrictions will be lifted on about 450 square kilometers of adjacent restricted land to allow private development once approvals are granted.
- The plan calls for removal of 23 military structures judged to have lost tactical use in border areas such as Paju and Yanggu, and it includes procedural reforms and a mobile-access authentication system planned for 2027.
- Seoul frames the move as a response to changing security needs and shrinking troop levels while promising phased reviews by the Defense Ministry, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and local governments before anything takes effect, and residents can expect easier access for farming and construction once approvals are complete.