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| President Moon Jae-in and his secretaries applaud in celebration of a successful outcome from Friday's inter-Korean summit at their meeting at Cheong Wa Dae, Monday. / Yonhap |
South to remove loudspeakers today
By Lee Min-hyung
The two Koreas will start discussing key military issues next month, as part of their first meaningful step forward to formally end the technical state of war on the Korean Peninsula no later than this year.
The two Koreas agreed to hold high-level military talks sometime in May on the sidelines of Friday's inter-Korean summit. The latest general-level military dialogue came in December 2007 during the 2003-08 Roh Moo-hyun administration.
Easing military tension on the peninsula stands at the center of realizing their mutual agreement of signing an official peace treaty and ending the war.
On Monday, South Korea's Ministry of National Defense also said it decided to withdraw propaganda loudspeakers near the military demarcation line by May 1.
"The move is in line with the recent inter-Korean joint agreement under which Seoul and Pyongyang agreed to put a complete end to any hostile activities against each other ― such as sending propaganda broadcasts or leaflets near the border area," the ministry said.
The defense ministry also mulls coming up with other follow-up measures to fulfill the inter-Korean declaration on the border village of Panmunjeom on Friday, it said.
The two Koreas unveiled a list of peace agreements during the historic summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Details of the agreements have yet to be confirmed.
To fulfill their joint agreements, they are planning to hold a series of working- and high-level dialogues to narrow their difference in military and unification issues in the next coming months.
On the military side, both sides also reached a consensus to gradually turn the demilitarized zone into a "Peace Zone." They also pledged to designate a disputed western sea border as the Peace Zone, in their bid to stop any maritime military conflicts.
The border areas have for decades been major venues for the North to stage military provocations against the South. By guaranteeing peace near the areas, they agreed to prevent accidental military conflicts and continue coming up with more detailed and practical peace measures.
Chances are Seoul and Pyongyang can discuss whether to set up a hotline between military leaders from both sides. The possible establishment of the inter-Korean military telephone line is expected to allow both sides to settle potential conflicts in a more prompt and accurate way.
Non-military inter-Korean agreements include the establishment of joint Korean sports teams in major international sporting events this year.
This February, both sides formed a joint women's ice hockey team during the PyeongChang Winter Olympics when Kim signaled his willingness to hold an inter-Korean summit at the earliest possible date. President Moon accepted the request, and took advantage of the rare peace gesture from the regime by arranging the upcoming summit between Kim and United States President Donald Trump.
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