Koreas complete removal of agreed border posts, landmines

A soldier watches a guard post in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, being removed on Nov. 15. / Korea Times file

By Kim Bo-eun

South and North Korea completed the demolishing of guard posts within the demilitarized zone and removing landmines from the Arrowhead Ridge in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, Friday.

These actions were part of a military agreement signed at the third inter-Korean summit in September, aimed at reducing military tension and building trust.

According to the accord, the Koreas agreed to remove 11 guard posts each. The South and North have completely torn down 10, leaving one on each side as a historical monument. Personnel and military equipment have been removed from the ones that remain.

The remaining guard post of the South is the one that was the first to be set up after the armistice of the 1950-53 Korean War was signed.

The one left in the North is a guard post North Korean leader Kim Jong-un visited in June 2013.

The South and North will verify the removal of the guard posts each side by visiting next month, the defense ministry said.

The Koreas also finished removing landmines from the area in which they plan to jointly excavate Korean War remains.

According to the ministry, the North has removed thousands of landmines and explosives and the South several hundred, since the removal work began on Nov. 1.

Signs have been set up in the area where the landmines have been removed, the ministry said.

Meanwhile, the Koreas will continue working on a project to connect a road between the South and North to facilitate the remains excavation.

Visitors to the Joint Security Area at the truce village of Panmunjeom are set to be able to start moving freely there next month.

The Koreas are setting up guidelines for military personnel of the South and North who will be on duty there to enable this, according to the ministry.