S.Korea says to withdraw part of guard posts in border areas with DPRK on trial basis
South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo said Tuesday that the military will pull out a part of guard posts in border areas with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on a trial basis as agreed upon at the inter-Korean military talks.
Song told a parliamentary defense committee hearing that South Korea and the DPRK agreed to withdraw a couple of guard posts inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ), which separates the Korean Peninsula, on a trial basis and then increase the number.
In this Wednesday, April 11, 2018, photo, South Korean army soldiers stand guard at the border villages of Panmunjom in Paju, South Korea. [Photo: AP/Ahn Young-joon]
The agreement was reached during the general-grade, inter-Korean military talks in late July, in which the two sides also agreed to disarm the Joint Security Area (JSA) inside the border village of Panmunjom and jointly excavate the remains of fallen soldiers during the 1950-53 Korean War.
The South Korean defense chief said the militaries of the two sides will first withdraw guard posts placed less than 1 km from each other, noting that the closest one is located some 700 meters away from each other.
The withdrawal would be a part of efforts to implement the Panmunjom Declaration, which South Korean President Moon Jae-in and top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un signed after their first summit meeting on April 27 in Panmunjom.
Moon and Kim agreed to defuse military tensions by transforming the DMZ into a peace zone and the sea border into a maritime peace zone.
Your Comment
Name E-mailRelated News
-
-
Suspects accused of murdering DPRK man called to enter defense
Two female suspects, Indonesian Siti Aisyah and Vietnamese Doan Thi Huong, accused of murdering a man from North Korea, were called to enter their defense by a Malaysian judge on Thursday, media reports.
-
-
Trump says willing to invite DPRK's Kim to U.S. if summit goes well
U.S. President Donald Trump said that he is willing to invite Kim Jong Un, the top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), to visit the United States if their summit negotiations in Singapore go well.
-
-
Russian FM to visit DPRK Thursday
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will pay an official visit to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Thursday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Wednesday.
-
-
Pompeo outlines U.S. plans to help DPRK in exchange for denuclearization
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday outlined the United States' plans to help the development of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) if the country agrees to complete denuclearization.
-
-
S. Korean president hails DPRK's plan to disclose dismantling of nuke test site
South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday hailed the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s plan to transparently display the dismantling of its nuclear test site to the international community.