North Korea Removes Hundreds Of Land Mines From Border Village

According to South Korea’s defense official, North Korea has successfully removed 636 land mines from the truce village of Panmunjom, located near the Korean border.

"There were no land mines found in our region, and the North informed us that it has removed more than 600 land mines," Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo said at a National Assembly session.

The move takes North Korea close to fulfilling the terms and conditions listed in the inter-Korean Comprehensive Military Agreement (CMA) signed in September at the third summit between North’s leader Kim Jong Un and South’s President Moon Jae-in, Yonhap News reported.

On Oct. 20, officials from both sides of the Korean peninsula joined hands in getting rid of land mines from Panmunjom's Joint Security Area (JSA) and proceeding to disarm them. The village of Panmunjom, also called the “truce town,” was a favored meeting point for the leaders of both Koreas. Kim and Moon met at Panmunjom twice this year.

However, since it was the only place along the border where troops from the two Koreas face each other, the spot has also been a place of conflicts till last year. In December 2017, a North Korea soldier was shot and critically injured by members of his own nation when he tried to cross the border and defect to South Korea.

Earlier in October, BBC reported both the sides had started the process of removing 800,000 landmines buried along the border.

"The two Koreas and the UNC [US-led United Nations Command] agreed to take measures of withdrawing firearms and military posts from the JSA by 25 October, and for the following two days, the three parties will conduct a joint verification," the South Korean defense ministry in Seoul said in a statement at the time.

As part of confidence-building measures between the Koreas, the two also withdrew troops and equipment from 11 guard posts in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), Sunday.

“The irreversible demolition of guard posts is the most tangible and symbolic measure to fundamentally prevent accidental clashes between South and North Korea and build confidence," Gen. Kim Yong-woo, the top Army officer, who inspected the destruction of a guard post in Chorwon, Gangwon Province, said.

The two Koreas have also agreed to set up maritime, air and ground buffer zones in front-line areas as part of reducing accidental clashes, building trust and reducing overall military tension between them. This included setting up a buffer zone in the Yellow Sea to suspend gun firing, maritime drills and establishing a no-fly zone in border areas.

Following the signing of the CMA, President Donald Trump praised the actions taken by North Korea, adding Kim had also agreed to nuclear inspections.

"Kim Jong Un has agreed to allow Nuclear inspections, subject to final negotiations, and to permanently dismantle a test site and launch pad in the presence of international experts. In the meantime there will be no Rocket or Nuclear testing. Hero remains to continue being," he tweeted.