N. Korea destroys 10 DMZ guard posts

SEOUL, Nov. 20 (Yonhap) -- North Korea exploded 10 guard posts in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) Tuesday as part of an inter-Korean agreement to withdraw them to reduce tensions and prevent accidental clashes, Seoul's defense ministry said.

The explosion occurred at around 3 p.m. after the North notified the South on Sunday of the demolition plan.

The Koreas have agreed to each destroy 10 guard posts while retaining one each that has historical or other value.

They plan to finish the pullout of the guard posts by the end of this month and verify it in December.

The demolition is part of the September military agreement that includes a series of confidence-building and conventional arms control measures.

They include disarming the Joint Security Area in the DMZ, conducting a joint project to excavate Korean War troop remains in the border region and setting up air, maritime and ground buffer zones.

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