Demilitarized Korean Zone

The demilitarized Korean zone , shortened in DMZ (of English demilitarized zone ) and created the March 23rd 1953 with the armistice of Panmunjeom, is a narrow strip of land separating the South Korea from the North Korea and is used as buffer zone. It divides the Korean peninsula in two on the level of the 38e parallel and reached a length of 248  km and of approximately 4  km broad.

A strongly militarized border

Zone mined and supervised militarily by the 2nd Division of infantry of the United States, with which South Korea signed a pact of safety, it is one of the rare vestiges of the Cold war equivalent to the Iron curtain. The circulation of the civilians is also restricted in a zone of several kilometers on both sides of the DMZ ('' source in '' “effects of the TGV on South Korean town and country planning”, by Marie-Helene Fabre, DATAR). However, two railway convoys - one left the North and the other of the South - have crossed for the first time for fifty six years, the demilitarized Korean zone on May 17th, 2007.

Space is covered with a thick on both sides punctuated forest of a continuous chain of military stations particularly visible on the air photographs.

The authorities North-Korean denounce the construction of a wall of division out of concrete, a height from 5 to 8 m, in the demilitarized zone southern part. Displacements are organized to show the wall of division to the foreign visitors in North Korea (source).

A sanctuary for the conservation of natural species

The demilitarized zone became a sanctuary for the conservation of several animal species, in particular of migratory birds; defense associations of the animals would like to see this space registered in protected area with the World heritage of UNESCO (see the analysis of professor Hiroyoshi Higuchi, of [[University of Tokyo]]).

See too

Related articles

  • JSA , thriller Korean
  • Land borders enters the North Korea and South Korea

References and notes

Simple: Demilitarized Zone

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