Koreas to connect road in DMZ today

By Kim Bo-eun

The Koreas will connect a road within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, today.

It is the first time for a road to be connected within the DMZ since the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed in 1953.

The road will be connected at Arrowhead Ridge in Cheorwon, which was an intense battlefield during the 1950-53 Korean War.

This is part of a military agreement reached at the third inter-Korean summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in September.

The road will be connected to facilitate the joint excavation of Korean War remains. Currently, landmines are being removed at the site ahead of the excavation.

It will be an unpaved tactical road running through the DMZ, with a maximum 12-meter width, according to the defense ministry.

More contact is expected to take place between South and North Koreans working on the landmine removal and excavation project after the road is connected.

The Koreas agreed to complete removing landmines and explosives in the area by the end of this month. The joint excavation of remains will take place from April through October next year.

After the Koreas began removing landmines last month, the remains of nine people killed in the Korean War were found on the South side of the DMZ.

The Koreas are seeing extensive progress in carrying out the agreements in the military accord reached in September, aimed at reducing military tension between the Koreas.

North Korea blew up 10 guard posts in the DMZ Tuesday and will finish demolishing guard posts there by the end of this month. The North and South will verify the work together in December.

Other agreements include disarming the Joint Security Area in the DMZ and setting up air, maritime and ground buffer zones.