“Republic of Korea and the US discussed potential changes in how parts of the heavily fortified border with North Korea are managed at recent defence talks in Washington, Seoul's defence ministry said Thursday. The issue was discussed at a bilateral integrated defence consultative body, a ministry spokesperson said, adding there had been 'progress'. She denied reports that it could result in joint or divided control of the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ). 'It is not joint management. Nor is it divided management,' the spokesperson told a briefing. 'It (is) making DMZ management in some sections more realistic.' The DMZ marks a buffer zone along the line where the 1950-53 Korean War — when China and North Korea battled UN forces led by the US — ended with an armistice, not a treaty. The UN Command oversees the DMZ under the armistice agreement, and the defence ministry spokesperson said Seoul respected its authority while consulting with Washington on technical arrangements for some areas. The comments come as Republic of Korean President Lee Jae-myung has said his country would seek to reclaim wartime operational control from the US during his term, which runs through to 2030. The US currently would command allied troops in the event of war on the Korean peninsula, but successive Republic of Korea governments have sought to regain wartime operational control. Republic of Korea's Unification Ministry has also recently shifted language on North Korea. Its 2026 white paper said Republic of Korea and North Korea effectively exist as two states, while Seoul still seeks eventual unification.
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