Military Restrictions on 83.32 Million Pyong of Land Will Be Lifted or Eased

The Ministry of National Defense said it will lift or ease its military restrictions on 83.32 million pyong of land across approximately 460 areas of the country from March 20. The new measure, which is taken on the largest scale in history, will enable landowners in the affected areas to exercise their property rights with construction, extension, or renovation of buildings.

Col. Kim Chu-baek, who is working for the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Defense Ministry, said on Monday it will lift its restrictions on 35.22 million pyong of land across 142 areas which do not directly deal with military operations, and ease its restrictions on 48.10 million pyong of land across 318 areas which do not hamper military operations such as shooting or observation from March 20.

The affected areas include small towns in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Anyang and Gwacheon city in Gyeonggi province, Ganghwa in Incheon, Gangwon province, Chungcheong province, and northern Gyeongsang province.

The Ministry of National Defense also eased its restrictions on 18.45 million pyong of land across 166 areas by allowing construction, extension, or renovations of buildings with only as simple as the administrative district’s permits. In addition, it relaxed its regulations on 16.47 million pyong of land across 130 areas by lowering the standard for the height of buildings. It lowered its restriction status over 13.18 million pyong of land across 22 areas.

The Defense Ministry said the measures have been developed for developing regions and getting rid of residents’ inconvenience over the past few years. However, its announcement has been criticized by some as an attempt to gain support in the areas ahead of the April 15 general elections. In the meanwhile, the Ministry of National Defense added that 6.61 million pyong of land across eight areas, including some in Gyeonggi province and Pohang city in northern Gyeongsang province, were newly classified as areas subject to military protections and the restrictions on about 3.39 million pyong of land across 28 areas were strengthened.

Ho-Won Choi bestiger@donga.com