(Photo: Yonhap News)
The government plans to lift development restrictions on some 100 million square meters of protected land near military installations.
The defense ministry said the areas to be freed Tuesday, when combined, is roughly 35 times larger than the Yeouido financial district in Seoul, and that most of the land was no longer being used by the military.
An 86 million-square-meter flight safety zone in the western city of Gunsan accounted for the largest proportion.
"The decision was made...in consideration of the change in the military's operational environment for the coexistence of military installations and local residents while maintaining a readiness posture," the ministry said in a release Thursday.
Under the Protection of Military Bases and Installations Act, development in areas near military facilities requires prior consultations with the military to protect the installations and safety of citizens.
Last year, 77 million square meters of land were freed from restrictions.
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