SEOUL, July 27 (Yonhap) -- The unification ministry on Monday awarded a commendation to an officer from the United Nations Command's Military Armistice Commission (UNCMAC) in recognition of his contributions to peace in the border area with North Korea.

The award was given to Maj. Lee Sung-bin during the Second Joint Conference on Peace and Safety in Border Areas, which was held at the government complex in Seoul. The UNCMAC supervises the Military Armistice Agreement between the two Koreas along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) signed on July 27, 1953.

The move was seen as an olive branch following friction between the ministry and the UNC over entry control of the DMZ, with the former seeking independent authority for peaceful civilian visits and the UNC asserting exclusive military control under the armistice.

Lee, who was absent for unspecified personal matter, is said to serve as a contact point between the ministry and the UNC on DMZ-related matters.

The ministry also awarded commendations to officials from the border counties of Goseong and Cheorwon, as well as military officials, for similar contributions.

The conference was attended by the governors of Gyeonggi and Gangwon and the mayor of Incheon, the provinces and city that oversee the border areas.

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young noted during the conference that the border area would sit at the center of the Korean Peninsula had it not been divided by the Military Demarcation Line.

"If we end this armistice system and transition to a peace regime, this border area will become the center," Chung said.

He said he hopes this conference will serve as an opportunity to discuss "peace and prosperity" for the border area, which has sacrificed itself over the past 73 years since the armistice that halted the Korean War.

jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr

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