SEOUL, Sept. 26 (Yonhap) - The Government set aside 40.2 billion won (37.3 million dollars) in the draft next year's budget for a project that calls for the creation of a peace park the demilitarized zone (DMZ), on the border with North Korea, according to the draft budget.
The draft peace park in the DMZ is one of the projects scope of President Park Geun-hye North Korea. First unveiled vision during his visit to the United States in May and formally proposed the project in August. But questions persist about his ability, due to tensions with Pyongyang.
The DMZ is a buffer zone four kilometers wide that separates the two Koreas. The two sides remain technically in a state of conflict after the 1950-1953 Korean War, which ended in a truce, not a peace treaty, and its border is one of the most heavily fortified in the world.
According to the Government's proposal, which is subject to change and does not require the approval of the National Assembly, the total budget of the Ministry of Unification was set at 1.34 trillion won, an increase of 1.6 percent or 20 , 9 billion won this year's budget.
Of the 40.2 billion won earmarked for the park project of peace, 24 billion won were designated for use in the removal of landmines scattered along the DMZ, while the rest went for research and other purposes, according to the budget proposal.
