( CNN ) It 's been over six decades since the Korean Demilitarized Zone ( DMZ ) was established , creating a buffer zone between North and South Korea that 's often referred to as the world 's most tense border . But remaining relatively untouched for all those years has had an unintended effect on this 250-kilometer long , four kilometer wide no-man 's land . Home to five rivers and several mountains , it 's become a thriving natural habitat for thousands of plant and animal species . And if South Korea has its way , the DMZ will eventually be transformed into an ecology peace park . The proposal is high on Seoul 's agenda at this week 's Ramsar Convention , an international meeting on wetlands taking place in Switzerland . `` A Korean delegation to the standing committee meeting of the Ramsar Convention will brief international organization officials about the DMZ peace park plan to seek cooperation , '' said an official of the Ministry of Unification , the government office responsible for inter-Korean relations , in a Korea Times report . `` It aims to broaden international support for the project , '' added the official . North Korea not on board . Apart from the thousands of soldiers stationed at the DMZ , the heavily fortified border is home to more than 1,200 varieties of plants and thousands of animal species -- including endangered wildlife like the Asiatic Black Bear and Amur leopard . It 's not the first time the idea to turn the DMZ into an ecology park has been raised . The South Korean government first introduced the plan in 2013 . It brought it up again in an official statement in 2014 , saying the park could become a symbol of peace between the two Koreas . The South 's Ministry of Unification even listed it as one of its new year plans for 2014 . So why enlist the international community 's assistance ? `` As the southern part of DMZ is under the control of the United Nations Command , it is important for Seoul to gain global support for the DMZ park plan , '' reports the Korea Times . But the biggest challenge will be to persuade North Korea to get on board with the plan . Pyongyang has repeatedly rejected the idea , dismissing it as an attempt to make money off tourists .
South Korea hopes to gain international support for a plan to turn the Korean Demilitarized Zone into an ecology park . Natural species have thrived for the last six decades since the area was declared a demilitarized zone .