Second Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Roh Tae-kang and a special group of foreign students walk a trail along the Demilitarized Zone in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, Sept, 17, during an event to mark the third inter-Korean summit a year earlier. Thirteen university students from 12 foreign countries including the United States, Britain, Italy, Vietnam and Mexico participated in the three-hour walk at the DMZ Peace Trail. Courtesy of Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

By Do Je-hae, Kim Yoo-chul

SEOUL/UNITED NATIONS ― South Korean President Moon Jae-in suggested a bold plan to promote inter-Korean peace by transforming the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) dividing the two Koreas into an "international peace zone" at the 74th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Wednesday (KST).

"I would like to propose to the United Nations and all the member states the idea of transforming the DMZ that cuts across the midriff of the Korean Peninsula into an international peace zone," Moon said during his speech at the United Nations.

"If we designate the area connecting the inter-Korean border area of Panmunjeom and Gaeseong in North Korea as a Peace and Cooperation District and transform it into a zone where both Koreas and the international community can jointly explore the path to prosperity on the peninsula, and if the DMZ comes to house U.N. offices already stationed in the Koreas and other international organizations related to peace, ecology and culture and emerge as a center for research on peace, peacekeeping, arms control and trust-building, it can become an international peace zone in name as well as substance," the President said.

The DMZ is a colossal green zone that stretches 250 kilometers from east to west and is 4 kilometers from north to south. Its borders define a tragedy spawned by 70 years of military confrontation, but it has paradoxically become a pristine ecological treasure trove, the South Korean leader said during his speech.

Moon urged North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and the international community to make joint efforts to remove landmines laid in the DMZ.

"Approximately 380,000 anti-personnel mines are laid in the DMZ, and it is expected to take 15 years for South Korean troops to remove them on their own. But cooperation with the international community, including the United Nations Mine Action Service, will not only guarantee the transparency and stability of demining operations, but also instantly turn the DMZ into an area of international cooperation," according to President Moon.

"The establishment of an international peace zone will provide an institutional and realistic guarantee to North Korea's security. At the same time, South Korea will also be able to achieve permanent peace," he said.

Moon laid out his three principles of "zero tolerance for war, mutual security guarantee and co-prosperity" for proposing the establishment of the "peace zone" to U.N. members and shared his vision to pursue its submission to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

In particular, he said he will seek the UNSESCO recognition jointly with Pyongyang. "Once peace is established between the two Koreas, I will work together with North Korea to inscribe the DMZ as a UNESCO World Heritage Site," he said.

In 2018, the two leaders agreed to create a "peace zone" in the DMZ. The plan was one of the highlights of the April 27 Panmunjeom Declaration, the main outcome of the first of their three summits last year.

"Chairman Kim Jong-un and I agreed on the peaceful use of the DMZ, and on-site inspections on the current state of North Korea's railroads were conducted after the two Koreas embarked on the reconnection of the severed railroads and roads. In addition, the groundbreaking ceremony for their reconnection and modernization has already taken place," Moon said. "All of these efforts constitute a process that will help solidify the foundation for peace on the peninsula and also contribute to peace and stability in Northeast Asia."

Seoul has been actively carrying out programs to promote the DMZ as a symbol of peace. The culture ministry held a walkathon for students from overseas in the area last week.