By Lee Min-hyung
The two Koreas and the United Nations Command (UNC) discussed disarmament of the Joint Security Area (JSA) Tuesday amid expectations for unarmed soldiers to "guard" the inter-Korean border area in a near future.
"The three-way consultation body had negotiation on measures on having a weapons-free JSA, including the withdrawal of firearms and guard posts," the Ministry of National Defense said in a statement.
Army Colonel Cho Yong-geun headed the South's three-member delegation, with the North led by Colonel Om Chang-nam, according to the ministry. United States Army Colonel Burke Hamilton also represented the UNC for the hours-long discussions.
The trilateral meeting is aimed at finalizing details to realize complete disarmament at the JSA. The two Koreas reached a consensus over the plan by signing a joint military agreement during an inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang last month.
The three parties are expected to have narrowed their differences on specific timelines to implement disarmament measures in the area, but they did not reveal any details.
Earlier this month, Seoul and Pyongyang started removing landmines and explosives in the JSA, as part of efforts to ease decades-long military tension, and continue building momentum for peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Under the joint military agreement, Seoul and Pyongyang also pledged to remove 11 guard posts each located within one kilometer of the border by the end of the year.
Aside from the military side, the two Koreas plan to allow civilian tourists to visit Panmunjeom without any restrictions on their clothing. So far, the military had banned people from wearing shorts or miniskirts from enter the border area.
But the two Koreas are expected to face a rough road ahead in fulfilling their bilateral pledge to disarm the JSA, as it requires consent and support from the UNC, which retains jurisdiction for the southern side of the JSA.
For this reason, both concerns and expectations have arisen over the three-way meeting, in that this is a rare occasion for the UNC to actively participate in inter-Korean military negotiations.
One pessimistic scenario is that the U.S.-led UNC may continuously take issue with North Korea during upcoming negotiations in consideration of the ongoing political tug-of-war between Washington and Pyongyang.
The U.S. and the North are still in a war of nerves over denuclearization talks. Washington wants the North to take more concrete steps for denuclearization, while Pyongyang is urging the former to take corresponding steps in return for a series of its own steps for nuclear disarmament, which includes the dismantlement of its Punggye-ri nuclear facility.
President Moon Jae-in is seeking to ease international sanctions on North Korea, as the latter has repeatedly expressed its firm determination to realize complete denuclearization of the peninsula.
In inter-Korean high-level talks, Monday, both Koreas agreed to start reconnecting railways and roads sometime between November and early December this year, as part of efforts to proceed with their reconciliatory momentum and enhance inter-Korean exchanges.
The agreement, however, raised concerns that the international community ― including the U.S. ― may view the joint project as the South breaching United Nations resolutions to cut off funding for Pyongyang.
For this reason, the role of the U.S. and other U.N. member countries is becoming more crucial for the two Koreas in implementing their joint agreements.
On Monday, President Moon asked his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron to persuade the U.N. Security Council to ease sanctions on the North in consideration of the regime's ongoing efforts and promises for complete denuclearization.
The two Koreas and the United Nations Command (UNC) discussed disarmament of the Joint Security Area (JSA) Tuesday amid expectations for unarmed soldiers to "guard" the inter-Korean border area in a near future.
"The three-way consultation body had negotiation on measures on having a weapons-free JSA, including the withdrawal of firearms and guard posts," the Ministry of National Defense said in a statement.
Army Colonel Cho Yong-geun headed the South's three-member delegation, with the North led by Colonel Om Chang-nam, according to the ministry. United States Army Colonel Burke Hamilton also represented the UNC for the hours-long discussions.
The trilateral meeting is aimed at finalizing details to realize complete disarmament at the JSA. The two Koreas reached a consensus over the plan by signing a joint military agreement during an inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang last month.
The three parties are expected to have narrowed their differences on specific timelines to implement disarmament measures in the area, but they did not reveal any details.
Earlier this month, Seoul and Pyongyang started removing landmines and explosives in the JSA, as part of efforts to ease decades-long military tension, and continue building momentum for peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Under the joint military agreement, Seoul and Pyongyang also pledged to remove 11 guard posts each located within one kilometer of the border by the end of the year.
Aside from the military side, the two Koreas plan to allow civilian tourists to visit Panmunjeom without any restrictions on their clothing. So far, the military had banned people from wearing shorts or miniskirts from enter the border area.
But the two Koreas are expected to face a rough road ahead in fulfilling their bilateral pledge to disarm the JSA, as it requires consent and support from the UNC, which retains jurisdiction for the southern side of the JSA.
For this reason, both concerns and expectations have arisen over the three-way meeting, in that this is a rare occasion for the UNC to actively participate in inter-Korean military negotiations.
One pessimistic scenario is that the U.S.-led UNC may continuously take issue with North Korea during upcoming negotiations in consideration of the ongoing political tug-of-war between Washington and Pyongyang.
The U.S. and the North are still in a war of nerves over denuclearization talks. Washington wants the North to take more concrete steps for denuclearization, while Pyongyang is urging the former to take corresponding steps in return for a series of its own steps for nuclear disarmament, which includes the dismantlement of its Punggye-ri nuclear facility.
President Moon Jae-in is seeking to ease international sanctions on North Korea, as the latter has repeatedly expressed its firm determination to realize complete denuclearization of the peninsula.
In inter-Korean high-level talks, Monday, both Koreas agreed to start reconnecting railways and roads sometime between November and early December this year, as part of efforts to proceed with their reconciliatory momentum and enhance inter-Korean exchanges.
The agreement, however, raised concerns that the international community ― including the U.S. ― may view the joint project as the South breaching United Nations resolutions to cut off funding for Pyongyang.
For this reason, the role of the U.S. and other U.N. member countries is becoming more crucial for the two Koreas in implementing their joint agreements.
On Monday, President Moon asked his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron to persuade the U.N. Security Council to ease sanctions on the North in consideration of the regime's ongoing efforts and promises for complete denuclearization.
