South Korea's unification ministry said Wednesday it will host a forum this week on the peaceful use of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas.

The event will take place at a hotel in the northeastern county of Yanggu on Thursday, with World Food Programme Executive Director David Beasley set to deliver a keynote speech by video, according to the ministry.

The DMZ, which is about 250 kilometers long and 4 km wide, is one of the world's most heavily fortified borders, with the rival Koreas technically in a state of conflict, as the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.

"Various speakers from the government, local municipalities, civic groups, academia and the international community will discuss rising issues on inter-Korean cooperation near the border area amid global climate change," the ministry said in a release.

The forum will be livestreamed on the ministry's YouTube channel. (Yonhap)