Jun Ji-hye, a reporter at the finance desk of The Korea Times, focuses primarily on economic policy and government agencies, mainly covering the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Ministry of Budget and Planning, the National Tax Service and the Korea Customs Service. She previously covered financial authorities, including the Financial Services Commission and the Financial Supervisory Service, and earlier worked on the political, city and business desks, reporting on a wide range of issues.
South, North military work on easing tension
By Jun Ji-hye
Soldiers of the two Koreas are working on easing heightened military tension on the Korean Peninsula after Seoul and Pyongyang agreed Tuesday morning to do so after four days of marathon talks.
According to the Ministry of National Defense, some of the North’s submarines have been detected returning to their bases.
The ministry previously detected some 50 subs, about 70 percent of the North’s fleet, setting out from their bases on the west and east coasts for unknown destinations.
Officials noted that some 20 hovercraft landing vehicles, which had been moved from Cholsan, North Pyongan Province, to 60 kilometers north of the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the West Sea, are expected to return to their original locations as well.
The North’s special forces, which had been dispatched to the border to shoot at loudspeakers used by the South to broadcast propaganda, are also expected to go back to their original locations as Seoul stopped the broadcasting at noon Tuesday in accordance with the inter-Korean agreement. As part of the accord, Pyongyang lifted its “semi-war state.”
The ministry said South Korean border guards maintained the highest alert status until noon to prepare for any possibilities.
“It will take time for the North to bring their troops and weapons deployed to their original locations,” said ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok. “Our military will lower its alert status by stages considering the threat level from North Korean soldiers.”
The Joint Chiefs of Staff and the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command are also considering lowering their watchcon alert status. They have notched up the alert to Level 2 from 3 to closely monitor the movement of North Korean soldiers.
South Korea and the United States said the allies will complete Ulchi Freedom Guardian (UFG), an annual joint military exercise, and an integrated live fire exercise as planned. Both drills are scheduled to end Friday.
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