Between Red-015AUG01 (2015/2015) by Lee SeahyunREAL DMZ PROJECT
1. What is the DMZ?
DMZ is the abbreviation for Demilitarized Zone, and it is an area where the stationing of military, the deployment of weapons, and the installation of military facilities are prohibited. The DMZ is a buffer zone aiming to provide distance between two sides to prevent direct military skirmishes following ceasefires, and it was set up to stop hostile military actions and to be used as a temporary space for maintaining peace.
Korean War press photo Korean War press photo (광복 이후)DMZ Museum
2. Please explain the terms related to the DMZ, such as the 38th Parallel, the Southern Limit Line, the Northern Limit Line, and the border area
The 38th Parallel Is a separate occupation line drawn at 38 degrees north latitude by the USA and USSR to disarm the Japanese military and separately occupy the Korean Peninsula after the Japanese Empire surrendered and Korea became liberated on August 15, 1945. At this time, it was possible to travel between North and South Korea.
American Journalists Inspecting Panmunjeom (1966) by The Bureau of Public InformationNational Archives of Korea
The military demarcation line is also known as the ceasefire line, and it refers to the borders set based on where South and North Korea occupied at the time of the signing of the Armistice Agreement of the Korean War on July 27, 1953. Since the military demarcation line was drawn, tragically, free travel between the two Koreas became impossible.
A Boundary Line in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) (1969) by The Bureau of Public InformationNational Archives of Korea
2-1. Southern Limit Line and Northern Limit Line
The Southern Limit Line and Northern Limit Line are designated as 1.2 miles (2 km) each to the south and the north of the military demarcation line. In this 2.4 miles (4 km) wide area, militaries cannot be stationed, and weapons cannot be deployed. This area is the DMZ.
Dreaming of Earth ... The Nature Rules (2015) by Jae-Eun ChoiREAL DMZ PROJECT
2-2. Civilian Control Line
The Civilian Control Line was set up by the US Eighth Army Command in February of 1954 in the 3–12 mile (5–20 km) sector south of the ceasefire line for conducting military operations, protecting military facilities, and for security. Civilians are restricted from residing in this civilian restricted area, while industrial and other activities are also limited, and unauthorized entry by civilians is restricted.
2-3. Border area
Border areas refer to 15 cities and townships bordering the DMZ or the maritime northern limit line, as well as those areas determined based on their distance from the Civilian Control Line and geographical conditions, etc., pursuant to the Protection of Military Bases and Installations Act.
DMZ and CCZ in 2021 (2021-01) by Google EarthCenter for Anthropocene Studies, KAIST
3. When and why was the DMZ created?
It was created according to the Armistice Agreement of the Korean War on July 27, 1953. Paragraph 1 of Article 1 Military demarcation line and demilitarized zone of this agreement states the following:
D.O.F. (Degrees of Freedom) D.O.F. (Degrees of Freedom) by Tomás SaracenoREAL DMZ PROJECT
A military demarcation line shall be fixed, and both sides shall withdraw 1.2 miles (2 km) from this line so as to establish a demilitarized zone between the opposing forces. A demilitarized zone shall be established as a buffer zone to prevent the occurrence of incidents, which might lead to a resumption of hostilities; as provided in the paragraph.
489 Years (2015/2015) by Hayoun KwonREAL DMZ PROJECT
4. Where is the DMZ located?
The DMZ crosses the middle of the Korean Peninsula from east to west, and it spans a total width of 2.4 miles (4 km), with a length of 1.2 miles (2 km) each to the south and the north.
Front 3: Project (1988) by Kyong ParkREAL DMZ PROJECT
5. How big is the DMZ?
The DMZ is a total area of 305 square miles (907 ㎢), equivalent to 1.5 times the size of Seoul and 1.9 times that of New York City.
A Construct The Koreas (Never) Made Together: Deconstructing the DMZ ForThe Imaginary – 2019 (2019/2019) by Dongsei KimREAL DMZ PROJECT
6. How long is the DMZ?
The length of the DMZ that stretches all the way across the Korean Peninsula is about 155 miles (248 km), from the Imjingang River estuary in the Weste Sea to Myeongho-ri, Goseong-gun of Donghae, and 1,292 military demarcation line signs are installed every 656 feet (200 m).
Map of Korea Demilitarized Zone (1969) by US Central Intelligence AgencyDurham University
This is longer than 148 miles (238 km), which is the distance from Seoul to Daegu in a straight line, and it is also longer than the distance from Amsterdam, Netherlands to Dortmund, Germany.
Inter-Korean Talks on Finding Dispersed Families at Panmunjeom (Panmungak) (1971) by The Bureau of Public InformationNational Archives of Korea
7. Can I go into the DMZ?
In February of 1954, the Eighth Army Command of the US set up a civilian control area in the 3–12 mile (5–20 km) sector south of the ceasefire line for conducting military operations, protecting military facilities, and for security. Civilians are restricted from residing in this civilian restricted area, while industrial and other activities are also limited, and unauthorized entry by civilians is restricted.
PanmunjeomGyeonggi Cultural Foundation
The Unification Observatory, Panmunjom, DMZ Museum, and other areas are located within the civilian control area, but entry is possible with the authorization of the military base with jurisdiction after filling out a civilian entry application.
The five islands closest to North Korea in the Yellow Sea (Ganghwado)DMZ Botanic Garden
8. Is the Korean Peninsula the only place in the world that has a DMZ?
No, that's not. There are DMZs in other countries such as the Aegean Islands, Sudan and Cyprus that are installed to prevent armed conflicts and provide transportation routes. However, Korea's Demilitarized Zone was born in a unique context. The Koreas were divided due to ideological conflicts and are still in a state of armistice.
Landscape of DMZ 2DMZ Botanic Garden
9. Why should we know about the DMZ?
The DMZ holds the stories of the suffering and tragedies of war, and to this day, it is a place that symbolizes the ceasefire on the Korean Peninsula. As it has been a prohibited place from people entering since the truce, the nature there has been very well preserved, so it is known to be a significant area for studying the natural ecosystem.
Aster tataricus L.f. & barbed wire fenceDMZ Botanic Garden
The DMZ is a relic of the Cold War that was born in the place where shooting stopped, but we should study and think about the DMZ to pass knowledge of it on to our descendants with a different meaning in the future.
