UNSC grants sanctions exemption for excavation of war remains in DMZ

South Korean soldiers excavate Korean War remains during a demining operation near Arrowhead Ridge inside the Demilitarized Zone in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, Oct. 25. The U.N. Security Council (UNSC) has approved a sanctions exemption for the delivery of equipment for an inter-Korean project to excavate Korean War remains in the DMZ which is scheduled to be held from April. / Yonhap

By Park Ji-won

The U.N. Security Council (UNSC) has approved a sanctions exemption for an inter-Korean project to excavate Korean War remains in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a diplomatic source said Monday.

The UNSC made the decision last week as the South sought the exemption to allow the shipment of equipment needed for the excavation of war remains.

If the Koreas finish discussing details, the excavation will likely be carried out from April to October.

The move came amid continuing talks between Pyongyang and Washington as well as Seoul and Washington over denuclearization of the North, which have been stalled for months since a June U.S.-North Korea summit in Singapore. Since the U.S. has eased limits on humanitarian aid to Pyongyang recently, the Koreas have been pushing for implementing inter-Korean agreements to boost ties with each other.

Military sources said Pyongyang asked Seoul during the generals' talks last year to provide equipment to demine the North's side of the related area for the excavation project.

South Korea's Ministry of National Defense later consulted the foreign ministry over whether the delivery of equipment to the North would violate U.N. sanctions.

For the equipment delivery, the ministry is considering purchasing demining machines from overseas, such as the Swiss' GCS-100, Germany's Minewolf or Croatia's MV-4 to lease them to the North.

Still, a sanctions exemption procedure is underway for the joint road inspection, according to a foreign ministry official.

During the "working-group" meeting via videoconferencing on Jan. 17, Seoul and Washington reached a consensus over the sanctions exemption for the excavation.

The excavation project is a key part of the inter-Korean military agreement made during the Pyongyang summit last September. The accord includes a series of arms control measures, including disarming the Joint Security Area, destroying some near-border guard posts and establishing air, water and land buffer zones aimed to reduce tension and prevent accidental clashes.

Since October, the Koreas have been constructing a road and demining the area to guarantee safety ahead of the excavation project.

Last year, the UNSC also granted a sanctions exemption for an inter-Korean joint survey on railways in the North in November and a groundbreaking ceremony for roads and railways connecting across the heavily fortified border separating the North and South in December.

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