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| Defense Minister Song Young-moo speaks to lawmakers during a visit to the National Assembly, Tuesday. / Yonhap |
By Lee Min-hyung
Seoul and Pyongyang have agreed to remove 10 guard posts near the inter-Korean border line, as part of a step to realize their mutual goal of transforming the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) into a peaceful area, South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo said Tuesday.
"We reached an agreement with the North to remove 10 guard posts and decided to expand the number," Song said during a National Assembly session.
The two Koreas will start removing posts closest to the border and continue to raise the number, according to the minister.
"We will start withdrawing ones located less than one kilometer from the border," he said.
Song declined to comment on when to kick off the plan. The two Koreas also agreed to remove more posts after enhancing their mutual trust, according to him.
He also underlined that he would make sure the number of removed posts from the South will be on par with that of the North.
The removal of the guard posts is part of a measure to realize the April 27 inter-Korean summit when leaders of the two Koreas agreed to turn the DMZ into a "Peace Zone."
At that time, South Korean President Moon Jae-in came to terms with his northern counterpart Kim Jong-un over reducing military tension and building a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.
The two Koreas have since held two rounds of general-level military talks. No outstanding achievements have been drawn following the military dialogues, except for the restoration of inter-Korean military communication lines.
But given the ongoing peace mood, both sides are likely to continue holding working-level military talks in the latter half of the year.
In particular, expectations are that President Moon may sign some version of a peace agreement in his planned meeting with Kim Jong-un next month.
