South Korea Affirms Government Control Over DMZ Access

Seoul's Unification Ministry said Thursday that pending bills to give the government authority over non-military access to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) do not conflict with the 1953 armistice, noting the measures require advance consultation with the United Nations Command (UNC). The UNC has strongly opposed the bills, while the defense and foreign ministries stressed close coordination with the UNC as Unification Minister Chung Dong-young backed the legislation.