Unification minister says 'DMZ Act' does not conflict 1953 Korean War Armistice Agreement
Published: 29 Jan. 2026, 16:57
![Minister of Unification Chung Dong-young speaks at a meeting with ministry officials, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and civic groups at the government complex in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Jan. 27. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/01/29/5a0053f5-5a49-43cd-89e8-d10e0882ff62.jpg)
Minister of Unification Chung Dong-young speaks at a meeting with ministry officials, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education and civic groups at the government complex in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Jan. 27. [YONHAP]
Minister of Unification Chung Dong-young said on Thursday that a proposed law granting civilian access to the demilitarized zone for peaceful purposes, currently being promoted by the government and ruling Democratic Party, does not conflict with the 1953 Korean War Armistice Agreement.
His remarks appear to be a rebuttal to the United Nations Command’s (UNC) statement on Wednesday, which warned that if the so-called DMZ Act passes, the Korean government’s actions could directly violate the armistice.
“The National Assembly is currently deliberating a bill concerning the peaceful use of the demilitarized zone,” Chung told reporters on his way to work on Thursday. “The bill includes a clause requiring prior consultation with the UNC, so I don’t believe it conflicts with the armistice.”
The minister also rejected concerns that pushing ahead with the legislation could strain Korea-U.S. relations, saying, “That is not the case.”
A Unification Ministry official echoed Chung's stance on Thursday.
“The government respects the National Assembly’s legislative authority and plans to cooperate with the ongoing discussion of the DMZ-related bill from that standpoint,” the official said.
“The current bills under discussion in the National Assembly include provisions requiring prior consultation with the UNC for DMZ access,” said the official. “We believe this does not conflict with the armistice in any way.”
![The Joint Security Area within the demilitarized zone is pictured on Jan. 8, 2024. [UNITED NATIONS COMMAND]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/01/29/0f4c92c2-54e3-4cac-9f34-66e1b67f8c94.jpg)
The Joint Security Area within the demilitarized zone is pictured on Jan. 8, 2024. [UNITED NATIONS COMMAND]
The Unification Ministry’s remarks are in response to the UNC’s unusually strong statement on Wednesday, warning that the DMZ Act could undermine the current armistice regime. The ministry has maintained that the bill is necessary to establish a legal basis for the comprehensive regulation of DMZ-related activities.
The UNC, however, argues that enacting a domestic law enabling civilian access to the DMZ based solely on Korean government authority would signal a departure from the armistice framework.
The armistice clearly stipulates that “civil administration and relief in that part of the demilitarized zone which is south of the military of the military demarcation line shall be the responsibility of the Commander-in-Chief, United Nations Command.”
Nonetheless, three versions of the DMZ Act proposed by ruling party lawmakers would allow the unification minister to approve peaceful projects within the DMZ without prior authorization from the UNC.
![The demilitarized zone is seen from Paju, Gyeonggi, on May 2, 2025. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2026/01/29/ea659e20-f11b-4aee-adea-40803477ea06.jpg)
The demilitarized zone is seen from Paju, Gyeonggi, on May 2, 2025. [YONHAP]
Even clauses that mention “consultation with relevant agencies” have raised concerns that they could effectively bypass UNC authority depending on how they are interpreted.
“In reality, if consultation with the UNC does not happen, there’s no way to enter the DMZ,” the ministry official said, addressing this issue. “The intent is to respect the jurisdiction of the UNC.”
“If one of our citizens were to be injured in the area south of the DMZ, would the responsibility fall solely on the UNC?” the official added.
This, too, appears to be a response to a previous statement from the UNC, which said that if an incident within the DMZ escalated into a hostile act, responsibility would lie with the UNC commander, not the president of Korea.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY LEE YU-JUNG [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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