Officials from Goseong-gun and the Army's III Corps pledge civilian-military cooperation on security and regional development along the eastern front line.
Officials from Goseong-gun and the Army's III Corps pledge civilian-military cooperation on security and regional development along the eastern front line.

Goseong-gun, which envisions becoming a special peace zone, and the Army's III Corps, responsible for defending the eastern front line, have pledged a civilian-government-military partnership that balances national security with regional development.

According to Goseong-gun on Saturday, III Corps commander Lt. Gen. Kim Jong-muk and his troops met with county chief Ham Myeong-jun and local civilian and government representatives at III Corps headquarters to discuss cooperation plans.

It was the first official meeting between the ninth directly elected Goseong county chief and the III Corps commander.

The talks covered a broad range of topics, including the government's policy direction to push the civilian control line northward, the establishment of a Goseong peace economic special zone, military consultations to boost border tourism, strategies to integrate military officers and their families into the local community, and ways to advance civilian-government-military cooperation grounded in national security.

The III Corps and Goseong-gun also agreed to expand cooperation in education, culture, sports and welfare to help troops and their families settle into the community, and to identify joint projects that promote greater use of local facilities by service members and improve their welfare.

County chief Ham said the northward shift of the civilian control line was "not simply an adjustment of the border, but an act of creating and expanding the future space of the border area." He said the change makes it possible to envision tourists arriving at Jejin Station, cycling toward the Unification Observatory, and filling border-area shops overlooking the waters off Jeodo in the East Sea. Ham said such a vision is possible only because of the security trust built through the dedication of III Corps and Yulgok Unit troops, and called for the active cooperation of military authorities in realizing it.

III Corps commander Kim said establishing an airtight alert posture on the eastern front line was "the military's core mission and the starting point for mutual benefit." He added that the corps would work with local authorities to provide stable living conditions so troops and officers can focus solely on their duties, ensure realistic training conditions, and "open a path where security and the region grow together" — protecting the safety of border-area residents while earning the public's trust.


abc@heraldcorp.com