Animals Face New Human Peril in Korea’s DMZ (1)

South Korea will draft guidelines to protect wildlife and their habitats in the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone separating it from North Korea as the two countries ease their decades-long military standoff in the area.

The South Korean Environment Ministry plans to announce measures to protect the ecosystem of the DMZ and preserve critical habitat in surrounding areas sometime this year before any development takes place in the border areas.

“The DMZ and the surrounding areas have high ecological significance with biodiversity. It should be protected under a legal boundary,” said Lee Jong-seon, an official at the environment ministry’s nature and ...