Gangwon Province pushes to ease military protection zone over border area

Gangwon Province submitted a formal request to South Korea's Ministry of National Defense asking for a reduction and relaxation of military protection restrictions in its border region covering about 39.35 km² – an area equivalent to roughly 5,512 soccer fields. The request, made ahead of the defence ministry's upcoming review committee, targets restrictions in five counties – Cheorwon, Hwacheon, Yanggu, Inje and Goseong – which together account for 2,331 km², or 48.4 % of the counties' total land area.

Governor Woo Sang‑ho said the easing of restrictions would remove constraints on farming, construction and other property rights, improve residents' quality of life and help attract investment and development projects. The proposed change would affect about 1.7 % of the total protected area. If approved, the adjustment could complement recent changes to civilian entry lines near the demilitarised zone. The province noted a gradual increase in the amount of land previously released from military control in recent years (6.6 km² in 2021, 36.19 km² in 2023, etc.).