President Lee Jae Myung's remark that "peace is a benefit" has begun to take shape as concrete policy for border communities in Gangwon Province.
Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province and the Ministry of National Defense held the Border Region Mutual Development Council on Friday afternoon at the Forest Museum seminar room of the Forest Science Research Institute, where participants discussed deregulation and other measures to promote development in the border area.
The province's policy planning officer and the Defense Ministry's military facilities bureau chief served as co-chairs, while deputy county heads from the five border counties and Defense Ministry officials joined to discuss ways to resolve military-related issues facing the region.
The council convenes twice a year and is scheduled to operate through 2029, with a possible five-year extension if needed. Launched in 2020, the body is expected to move toward more substantive policy action following the launch of the new administration.
The main agenda items at the 13th session were cooperation on renewable energy projects in the border region, cooperation on development projects utilizing idle military land, the integrated water supply facility project in Hwacheon-gun, and local government cooperation matters related to the adjustment of the civilian control line.
Participants also discussed plans to expand the existing government-military council into a civilian-government-military cooperative framework ahead of the statutory launch of the Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province Civilian-Government-Military Cooperation Committee on Oct. 22, and to establish a unified communication channel under that body.
The cooperation committee was formed under Article 73-2 of the Special Act on the Establishment of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province and the Creation of a Future Industry Global City — a provision added specifically to enable such a body.
Set to be established in the second half of this year, the committee will bring together the province, the Defense Ministry, 18 cities and counties, and civilian representatives to discuss matters related to mutual development among civilian, government and military stakeholders across the province.
Jeon Hee-seon, the province's policy planning officer and co-chair of the council, said the border region faces hardship from accumulated economic stagnation and continued population decline caused by military base reorganizations, but that the easing of military regulations under the Gangwon Special Act has marked an important turning point. "Particularly at a time when cooperation among the province, the border region and the Defense Ministry — all of whom share key issues such as the northward adjustment of the civilian control line — is critical, we will work actively with the Defense Ministry," she said.
Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province and the Defense Ministry plan to continue sharing regional issues through the forthcoming civilian-government-military cooperation committee and to actively seek collaborative approaches that benefit both the military and local communities.
In addition, the two sides said they will continue working-level consultations among relevant agencies on the agenda items discussed at Friday's meeting, and will move forward without delay on follow-up measures, including submitting those items to the cooperation committee once it is formally established.
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