Koreas to complete work to remove some guard posts, land mines in DMZ

SEOUL, Nov. 30 (Yonhap) -- South and North Korea will complete demolishing 10 front-line guard posts each and demining a ridge in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) Friday, Seoul's defense ministry said.

They began the work in October as part of a military accord to reduce tensions and build trust, which their defense chiefs signed in September after the third summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang.

"The work to completely destroy the guard posts subject to the withdrawal agreement will be completed today," a ministry official said on condition of anonymity. "Next month, the verification work will proceed."

Seoul and Pyongyang have agreed to each destroy 10 guard posts, while retaining one each that has historical or other value.

The demining work has been progressing at Arrowhead Ridge, or Hill 281, in Cheorwon, 90 kilometers northeast of Seoul -- a site that the Koreas have designated for a project to excavate troop remains from April to October next year.

The land mine clearance operations are aimed at ensuring safety for the excavation project. Separately, the two sides will continue the construction of a road on the ridge, which is needed to transport personnel and equipment for the project, by the end of the year.

The bilateral military accord includes a series of confidence-building and conventional arms control measures, such as disarming the Joint Security Area in the DMZ and setting up air, ground and maritime buffer zones to prevent accidental clashes.

sshluck@yna.co.kr
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