• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.355-363
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• 2015

DMZ(Demilitarized Zone) created as part of the Armistice Agreement is important zone in the way that historic and eco-cultural value as well as military and political image of this are remarkable. Furthermore, the concern of DMZ has been rising at home and abroad. Even though various studies on this subject have been constantly spurring according to the significance, the practical researches on spatial range of DMZ are very weak. The Purpose of this research is to show the factual spatial extent of DMZ from the mouth of the Imjingang River in the west to the town of Goseong in the east. This study proved the area of corresponding DMZ is approximately $570km^2$ contrary to the previous studies and claims it is difficult to measure the actual length of MDL(Military Demarcation Line) regarded as 155mile in this situation of Korea peninsula.

• Convergence Security Journal
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.19-26
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• 2013

The Military Demarcation Line(MDL) divided the two Koreas when armistice agreement was signed in 1953, July 27 but there was no regulation for the sea border. Since then, The North has constantly denied the legitimacy of the sea border, which has remained the inter-Korean maritime border. But the armistice agreement has been virtual maritime demarcation line for the avoidance of hostilities on the Korean Peninsula and maintain and manage the armistice system peacefully. Therefore we should strengthen the Korea's sovereignty over the NLL by tightening the effective control.

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.19-27
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• 2019

This study is to measure the length of the Demilitarized Zone and the Military Demarcation Line(MDL) on the Korean Peninsular. For this purpose, maps of the Armistice Agreement Volume II were used. These maps are nine sheets. In order to extract the MDL shown on the map, coordinates were assigned to the scanned image maps using the georeferencing module of ArcGIS based on the sheet line coordinates. The accuracy of the extracted vectors was checked by overlaying them on the maps of the Armistice Agreement Volume II. And I tried to validate these vectors through comparative analysis with vectors extracted from Kim(2007). Vectors extracted from Kim(2007) had errors in the curvilinear parts of the MDL, but the vectors extracted from this study exactly matched the MDL in the Armistice Agreement Volume II. The measured length is 239.42km(148.77miles). This means that the expression '155mile MDL' or '248km DMZ' in papers, reports or mass media has so far been inappropriate. I think this study will be able to provide information on the exact length of the DMZ in studies related with DMZ or in policy decisions by the national and local government. However, it is deemed necessary to verify this result by national organizations such as the NGII(National Geographic Information Institute). After these verification procedures, I hope that the national government will inform the people of the exact length of DMZ and MDL.

• The Journal of the Convergence on Culture Technology
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.191-195
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• 2019

South Korea is in a dangerous situation where a war between the two Koreas could be triggered at any time based on the MDL (Military Demarcation Line) between the two Koreas due to the inter-Korean standoff over the armistice. Also, unlike the borders of other countries, the border between the two Koreas is the front-line area where people can feel the threat of life that could be triggered by war. Soldiers who work in special areas such as the contact area are not easily accessible due to local conditions, and are less likely to go out, stay out, stay out, or visit, and the working environment is overloaded with vast forests and silence at night, and feel anxious, lonely and insecure because they don't know when any situation will occur near the enemy. Therefore, a great deal of help will be needed to pay attention to soldiers who give up their lives here and perform their national defense duties, and to finish their barracks life safely and faithfully, and support for psychological adaptation of service members in the border areas.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.242-257
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• 2019

The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) stretches two kilometers north and south from the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) of South and North Korea. This area was established as a weapons-free buffer zone when an armistice agreement was signed in 1953. However, there have been several very high-tension military standoffss over the past 65 years. On the South Korean side, civilian access to the Civilian Control Line (CCL) and beyond to the north has been restricted, and natural heritage has been well maintained. Natural heritage is defined as living things, their habitat and non-living things of the ecosystem which deserve to be protected. Research shows that a variety of flora and fauna, their habitat, marshes and geographical structures are found across the DMZ region. Although the DMZ region has not been such a good place for habitat conservation, we can say that this area may be the best location for restoration in terms of its variety of ecosystems and considerable land size. Restoration of course depends on future plans and management policies. This area, including the DMZ and the well-protected north of the CCL, will be the best habitat for endangered species of wild fauna and flora if we classify the various habitat types and create a habitat map. In doing this project, we need to include the estuary of the Han River and the lagoon (brackish water lake) of the East Sea coast. In addition, we must establish long-term plans for conservation and sustainable use and do international scientific research across the DMZ region in collaboration with scientists of South and North Korea and international experts. Mutual cooperation between the two Koreas for investigation and conservation efforts is paramount.

• Journal of the Korean association of regional geographers
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.454-460
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• 2007

Korean War resulted in the fact that Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the neck of Korean peninsular was totally forgotten by people for more than half a century. But recently, as the concern in this DMZ has been rising inside and outside of Korea, the researches on this subject have been gradually quickening. However, the practical studies about spatial extent of DMZ are very feeble. Even the analysis of the previous studies shows that the most of researches had mistakes in the spatial description of MDL and DMZ, neutral territory of Han River estuary, and NLL. In this study the length of MDL, stretching till the estuary of western Lim- Jin River in Myung-Ho Ri of Goseong region on East Coast, was measured to be about Z38km (l48miles); the area of corresponding DMZ was proved to be approximately $903.8km^2$ ($907.3km^2$ in the previous studies). Such results show that it is necessary to decide the terms for calling the space dividing North and South Korea, similarly to "155-mile truce line".

• Journal of the Korean Association of Geographic Information Studies
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.114-128
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• 2019

This study is a spatial analysis of the boundaries related to the division of the Korean peninsula. The boundary space was extracted by extracting $38^{th}$ parallel and digitizing the map of the Armistice Agreement Annex. The purpose of this analysis was to extract more accurate scope based on the armistice agreement, the appendices, and the UNC regulations and to analyze the wrong information correctly. The range of demilitarized zones was determined by UNC 551-4(2014) and UNC 551-5(2015) to ensure that there is no change in the location of the Southern Limit Line. It also confirmed that the MACHA was excluded in the DMZ. As a result, the area of the DMZ was measured at $889.7km^2$. Also this study identified the interval and number of markers in the MDL and the Han River estuary. It could be confirmed that the interval of markers within the MDL depends on the subject of management. This study is more accurate from the start and can be used as basic data needed in the study and education of DMZ and border areas after verification by public organizations.

• Journal of The Geomorphological Association of Korea
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.31-49
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• 2012

Satae cheon, a tributary of the Suip cheon in Yanggu, Gangwon province, is an international river extended to North Korea. Most of drainage basin area of the river was the fierce battle field during the Korean War(1950-1953) and hard to access as it located between the MDL(Military Demarcation Line) and the CCZ(Civilian Control Zone: about 10km south from MDL). By the restriction of access to the sites, most of natural landscape have been well conserved except limited use for military activities. Even the landfoms in that area were not studied, except the government's heritage reports. Satae Cheon's channel follows the Imdang fault line(N-S) to Satae-ri and flow to west to the Dutayeon area. The river meanders along geological structure or weak line at the Dutayeon area. The meandering channel was shorten by the meander cut which linked the thalweg line of meander loop ant the meander neck. As a result of this cut, the river cliff formed by the Satae cheon became the part of newly formed channel bed and the S-forms are formed. After the channel route stabilized, channel incised the rock with large potholes and undulating walls were formed. The channel width changes from 1m to 10m with restriction of the undulating walls, so this part can be regarded as inner channel or inner gorge. From the point of planar forms it also can be slot-type canyon.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.52 no.1
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• pp.57-62
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• 2014

Biting midges (Culicoides: Ceratopogonidae) were collected by Mosquito Magnet$^{(R)}$ traps at the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC) camp and Daeseongdong village inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) and near the military demarcation line (MDL) separating North and South Korea and at Warrior Base (US Army training site) and Tongilchon 3 km south of the DMZ in northern Gyeonggi Province, Republic of Korea (ROK), from May-October 2010-2012, to determine their seasonal distributions. A total of 18,647 Culicoides females (18,399; 98.7%) and males (248; 1.3%) comprising 16 species were collected. Overall, the most commonly collected species was Culicoides nipponensis (42.9%), followed by C. erairai (29.2%), C. punctatus (20.3%), C. arakawae (3.3%), C. pallidulus (1.8%), and C. circumscriptus (1.4%), while the remaining 10 species accounted for only 1.1% of all Culicoides spp. collected. The seasonal distribution of C. nipponensis was bimodal, with high numbers collected during May-June and again during September. C. erairai was more frequently collected during June-July, followed by sharply decreased populations from August-October. C. punctatus was collected in low numbers from May-September with high numbers collected during October. C. erairai was predominantly collected from the NNSC camp (85.1% of all C. erairai collected) located adjacent to the MDL at Panmunjeom in the northernmost part of Gyeonggi-do (Province), while other sites yielded low numbers of specimens.

• Strategy21
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• s.34
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• pp.58-92
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• 2014

Even after S. Korea took 5.24 Measure(24 May 2014), N. Korea has not stopped raising provocations such as the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island, electronic and cyber attacks. To make matters worse, the communist country lunched long-range missiles(twice) and conducted 3rd nuclear test, escalating tensions which could possibly lead to an all-out war. Korean Government failed to respond properly. However, escalation into an all-out war was deterred by the CFC immediately carrying out its peacetime duty(CODA). The US made a rapid dispatch of its augmentation forces(Aircraft carrier, nuclear-powered submarine, strategic bomber, F-22) to the Korean Peninsula. In recognition of the importance of the Combined Forces Command, since May 2013 the Park Geun-Hye Administration has been pushing ahead with re-postponement of Wartime Operational Control Transfer(which initially meant the disassembling of the CFC as of 1 December 2015) More recently, there has been a series of unusual indicators from the North. Judging from its inventory of 20 nuclear weapons, 1,000 ballistic missiles and biochemical weapons, it is safe to say that N. Korea has gained at least war deterrence against S. Korea. Normally a nation with nuclear weapons shrink its size of conventional forces, but the North is pursuing the opposite, rather increasing them. In addition, there was a change of war plan by N. Korea in 2010, changing 'Conquering the Korean Peninsula' to 'Negotiation after the seizure of the Greater Seoul Metropolitan Area(GSMA)' and establishing detailed plans for wartime projects. The change reflects the chain reaction in which requests from pro-north groups within the South will lead to the proclamation of war. Kim, Jeong-Un, leader of N. Korean regime, sent threatening messages using words such as 'exercising a nuclear preemptive strike right' and 'burning of Seoul'. Nam, Jae-June, Director of National Intelligence Service, stated that Kim, Jung-Un is throwing big talks, saying communization of the entire Korean Peninsula will come within the time frame of 3 years. Kim, Gwan-Jin, Defense Minister, shared an alarming message that there is a high possibility that the North will raise local provocations or a full-fledged war whenever while putting much emphasis on defense posture. As for the response concept of the Korean Government, it has been decided that 'ROK·US Combined Local Provocation Counter-Measure' will be adopted to act against local provocations from the North. Major provocation types include ▲ violation of the Northern Limit Line(NLL) with mobilization of military ships ▲ artillery provocations on Northwestern Islands ▲ low altitude airborne intrusion ▲ rear infiltration of SOF ▲ local conflicts within the Military Demarcation Line(MDL) ▲ attacking friendly ships by submarines. Counter-measures currently established by the US involves the support from USFK and USFJ. In order to keep the sworn promise, the US is reinforcing both USFK and USFJ. An all-out war situation will be met by 'CFC OPLAN5027' and 'Tailored Expansion Deterrence Forces' with the CFC playing a central role. The US augmentation forces stands at 690,000 troops, some 160 ships, 2,000 aircraft and this comprise 50% of US total forces, which is estimated to be ninefold of Korean forces. The CFC needs to be in center in handling both local provocations and an all-out war situation. However, the combat power of S. Korean conventional forces is approximately around 80% of that of N. Korea, which has been confirmed from comments made by Kim, Gwan-Jin, Defense Minister, during an interpellation session at the National Assembly. This means that S. Korean forces are not much growing. In particular, asymmetric capabilities of the North is posing a serious threat to the South including WMD, cyber warfare forces, SOF, forces targeting 5 Northwestern Islands, sub-surface and amphibious assault forces. The presence of such threats urgently requires immediate complementary efforts. For complementary efforts, the Korean Government should consider ① reinforcement of Korean forces; putting a stoppage to shrinking military, acquisition of adequate defense budget, building a missile defense and military leadership structure validity review, ② implementation of military tasks against the North; disciplinary measures on the sinking of ROKS Cheon-an/shelling of Yeonpyeong Islands, arrangement of inter-Korean military agreements, drawing lessons from studies on the correlation between aid for N. Korea, execution of inter-Korean Summit and provocations from the North, and ③ bolstering the ROK·US alliance; disregarding wartime operational control transfer plan(disassembling of CFC) and creation of a combined division.