North Korea Allows South Korean Fire-Fighting Helicopter in DMZ

The Ministry of National Defense (MND) said that the North allowed the entry of a South Korean fire helicopter into the demilitarized zone (DMZ), south of the military demarcation line (MDL) on April 8.

The MND explained that South Korea sent a telephone message to North Korea asking for the entry of helicopter to extinguish a fire that occurred inside the DMZ, in the Goseong area, Gangwon Province, through the United Nations Command in the morning of that day and that North Korea sent a message back to the South, allowing the South’s request at around 1:30 p.m.

With the North’s compliance with the South’s request, South Korea is now able to put out the fire at an early stage in the DMZ area, to which fire-fighting equipment was inaccessible up until recently.

An official of the MND noted, “In accepting the request, North Korea demanded that people and equipment involved in fire-fighting shouldn’t go over the DMZ, while getting the fire under control.”

The South will go through the process of notifying the North of operating fire-fighting helicopters to extinguish wildfires in the DMZ by direct phone line from the U.N. Command Military Armistice Commission from now on.

Sang-Ho Yun ysh1005@donga.com