ROK, DPRK agree to verify withdrawal of guard posts in border area

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The Republic of Korea (ROK) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) have agreed to verify the pilot withdrawal of guard posts in the inter-Korean border area, ROK's Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

The verification will be conducted through on-site visits on December 12 by sending seven-member teams to guard posts, which were subject to the pullout.

The two sides had withdrawn soldiers and weapons from 11 guard posts, respectively, and destroyed them inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) on a trial basis. The DMZ left the Korean Peninsula divided since the 1950-53 Korean War ended with armistice.

The withdrawal was conducted to implement the military agreement, which defense chiefs of the two Koreas signed during the Pyongyang summit in September between ROK President Moon Jae-in and DPRK leader Kim Jong Un.

ROK Vice Defense Minister Suh Choo-suk told a press briefing that the ROK and the DPRK would send soldiers, respectively, to each 11 guard posts for the verification.

Suh said the verification teams from the two sides would meet near the military demarcation line (MDL) to visit the demolished guard posts following the guide of each side.

To enable the on-site visits, the two Koreas planned to build a path linking the demolished guard posts.

Suh noted that the new path inside the DMZ was anticipated to be the path of a new history, which will change the DMZ, a symbol of division and confrontation, into a peace zone.

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency