South Korea and the United States discuss reforming the management of the border area with North Korea in the DMZ.

South Korea and the United States are discussing adjusting the management model for the border area with North Korea within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), emphasizing that it is not a division or joint management of the area.

On May 21, 2026, at 11:29 AM, Reuters reported that the South Korean and U.S. governments revealed that both sides discussed ways to adjust the management of certain areas in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) along the border with North Korea during a recent joint defense meeting in Washington.

A South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman said the discussions were making progress but denied reports that they could lead to joint administration or shared control of the demilitarized zone between the two countries.

“This is not joint administration, and it’s not a division of control,” the spokesperson said, explaining that the goal is to make the management of certain areas of the DMZ more realistic.

The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is a buffer zone along the demarcation line where the Korean War of 1950–1953 ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. During that war, China and North Korea fought against United Nations forces led by the United States.

Currently, the United Nations Command oversees the DMZ under the armistice agreement, and the South Korean Ministry of Defense has confirmed that Seoul continues to respect the authority of the command and is in discussions with the United States regarding the technical details of managing certain areas.

This move comes as South Korean President Lee Jae-myung announces his administration will push for South Korea to regain wartime operational control from the United States by the end of his term in 2573.

Currently, if a war were to break out on the Korean Peninsula, the United States military would command the Allied forces. However, successive South Korean governments have attempted to regain Seoul's wartime command authority.

Meanwhile, South Korea's Unification Ministry revised its wording regarding North Korea in its 2569 white paper , stating that North and South Korea exist as two separate states, although South Korea reaffirms its goal of future reunification.

Reference: www.reuters.com

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