`Korea, US, UN discuss about DMZ World Peace Park`

Significant progress has reportedly been made in discussions among concerned parties, except North Korea, about a plan to construct a World Peace Park within the inter-Korean demilitarized zone. President Park Geun-hye proposed this plan during her visit to U.S. as a grand blueprint that will entail participation by South and North Korea, the United Nations and the U.S.

“I understand that during the president’s visit to the U.S., (President Park) explained the plan to construct DMZ World Peace Park to the United Nations and the United States, asked for consent, and received positive response,” said a key source at the presidential office in Seoul. “There are many hurdles to overcome, but since the president has strong commitment and the plan has been examined to a significant extent.”

In a meeting with senior presidential secretaries on Monday, President Park also said, “The DMZ Peace Park will be an issue that will require discussions with the United Nations and the United States, which are overseeing the area,” indirectly hinting at her determination to push for the plan in details and its orientation.

On Monday last week (U.S. time), President Park reportedly discussed this issue with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon during their closed meeting in New York. Park picked the U.N. as a key partner because the world organization best complies with the concept of “World Peace.”

Since the area`s demilitarization is essential to establish a Peace Park within DMZ, the presidential office apparently judges that the cooperation of the United Nations Command and the Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command that oversee the southern sections of DMZ is crucial. The presidential office believes that past planned projects within DMZ failed because they were pushed singlehandedly by South Korea.

Particularly, the boundary of World Peace Park covers not only the sections of the military demarcation line in South Korea but also those of the line in the North. If the North positively responds, it could serve to provide a breakthrough in inter-Korean relations that have been stalled. When the park materializes, it could emerge as a new hub for inter-Korean relations, going beyond connection of in-land routes between the two Koreas.

North Korean propaganda website Uriminzokkiri, however, angrily responded to the plan Monday, saying, “(The plan to construct DMZ World Peace Park) is an unacceptable act of defamation to the Korean people,” suggesting that a bumpy road lies ahead to the initiative’s implementation.