Exceptional Spaces as Local Drivers in Geopolitical Scenarios: Paju Book City near the DMZ as a Case Study

This paper investigates the reuse of regional land as 'exceptional spaces' in the context of political and territorial conflicts, drawing on Giorgio Agamben's theory of "exceptional space" and Michel Foucault's concept of heterotopias. The focus is on how suspending customary legal and social norms in such spaces can serve national interests during crises. Paju Book City near the DMZ in South Korea is used as a Case Study.
As articulated by Agamben (1998, 2005), the concept of' exceptional space' revolves around the 'state of exception' where customary laws and social rules are suspended. This theoretical framework provides insight into how nations create spaces exempt from regular legal constraints to manage crises. Michel Foucault's (1977, 1984) theories on heterotopias and the organisation of space further enrich the analysis by offering a lens through which to view these spaces as sites of both exclusion and innovation.