Korea and the UN finish removing their firearms from the border village

SEOUL, South Korea – Korean rivals and the US-led US command ended Thursday the withdrawal of firearms and troops from a jointly controlled area in a border village, as part of a joint venture. agreements to reduce the animosity that has lasted for several decades on the Korean peninsula.

South Korea separately announced that its troops had discovered that what they thought was the Korean War, was still in another front-line zone where they had cleared antipersonnel mines with North Korean soldiers. The rival Koreans are planning their first ever joint warfare search after their demining work.

Disarmament of the joint security zone in the border village of Panmunjom and joint research are part of a package of agreements that Korea's defense ministers passed on the sidelines of their leaders' summit last month. Other measures to be taken include the creation of buffer zones along their land and sea borders and a no-fly zone over the border, as well as the removal of some of their posts first-line guard.

Thursday, Korea and the US command have completed the withdrawal of weapons, ammunition and soldiers assigned to guard posts in the common security area of ​​Panmunjom, said the Ministry of Defense in Seoul in a statement. The three sides had already finished removing the mines from the village.

The three parties will jointly verify their disarmament work on Friday and Saturday. Under the September agreements, the two Koreas must leave 35 "unarmed members" on each side to guard the common security zone and allow tourists to move freely.

The region symbolizes Korea's seven decades of division. This is where an armistice was signed at the end of the 1950-53 Korean War. The rival soldiers only clashed a few feet away in the area, which was the scene of many bloody and violent incidents. It is also a place of discussion and a popular tourist destination.

Soldiers and visitors were previously allowed to move freely within the area, but the assassination of two US troops by North Korea in 1976 at Panmunjom resulted in the creation of concrete slabs to ankle height marking the border.

The Koreas are divided along the 4 km (24 km) long border, known as the demilitarized zone, which was originally created as a buffer. But unlike its name, the DMZ is now the most heavily reinforced border in the world. About 2 million mines are scattered in and around the demilitarized zone, which is also protected by barbed wire, tank traps and combat troops on both sides.

Officially, the entire zone of the demilitarized zone, including Panmunjom, is jointly supervised by North Korea and the US command. About 28,500 US troops are deployed in South Korea to deter any aggression by North Korea.

The defense ministry said earlier Thursday that its troops had discovered two groups of human remains elsewhere in the demilitarized zone. It was the first such discovery since the demining began in common with North Korea on October 1, when one of the heaviest battles of the Korean war took place.

According to the ministry, a bayonet, bullets and a South Korean army identification tag bearing the name "Pak Je Kwon" were found with the remains. Military records show that Pak was a first class sergeant who died in a battle in 1953 during the last weeks of the Korean War.

Pak has two surviving sisters and the authorities will take their DNA samples to determine if parts of the bones belong to him.

During a media visit to the site, South Korean soldiers wrapped a piece of bone in white paper and placed it in a wooden box. They then wrapped the box with a national flag, placed it on a small table and offered a glass of alcohol before making a silent tribute.

"Sgt. 1st class Pak I Kwon came back to us. It's been 65 years since he died in action. Now we can offer him a shot of soju, "said South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Twitter.

The region, known as Arrowhead Hill, is where US troops led by South Korea and the United States repelled a series of Chinese attacks to protect a strategic position at the top of a hill. . South Korea said the remains of about 300 South Korean, French and American soldiers would be in the area. The remains of a large number of Chinese and North Korean soldiers are also probably there.

The Korean war has left millions dead or missing and Seoul officials estimate that the remains of about 10,000 South Korean soldiers are still in the demilitarized zone.

In September, South Korean conservatives sharply criticized the September deal that Moon's government would have made too many concessions that would eventually weaken the country's military might at a time when North Korea's nuclear threat has not not changed. Moon, a Liberal wanting closer ties with North Korea, facilitated a series of high-profile talks between the United States and North Korea, including a summit in June between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and the United States. President Donald Trump, to address stalemate on Kim's nuclear program.

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Associate Press video reporter Yong Jun Chang at Arrowhead Hill in Cheorwon, South Korea, contributed to this report.

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