Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

With regard to the withdrawal of South and North Korean guard posts(GP), President Moon Jae-in stressed on December 12th, “I believe that today’s footpaths will become paths toward peace, and the Demilitarized Zone(DMZ) will be changed into a zone of peace if our military keeps up its firm support for peace on the Korean Peninsula.”

“The withdrawal of GPs on each side and mutual verification will mark a historic milestone for the two Koreas, which have remained divided into south and north for 65 years.” President Moon made this remark during his visit to the National Security Council (NSC)　situation room of the national crisis management center, in the Blue House, where he observed the mutual on-site verification of the withdrawal of 11 GPs in DMZ on a trial basis.

“The two Koreas have built footpaths inside the DMZ, where they used to have tense military confrontation, removed GPs where opposing soldiers faced each other and conducted clear inspections on them. Such actions were deemed unthinkable in the past. I think both sides showed the will to thoroughly implement the military agreements, and such actions are also an exemplary case internationally of military trust-building. We have reached the trust we have today because the militaries of the two Koreas have faithfully implemented the agreement that was signed in the inter-Korean summit. I believe such trust acts as the most important energy to ensure there is no more war on the Korean Peninsula. I ask you to do your best until it ends well, and tell the nation the details of the results,” Moon also added. 

On Wednesday, South and North Korean military authorities carried out mutual on-site inspections on 11 guard posts in each other’s side that had been withdrawn, and demolished them on a trial basis in accordance with the Sept. 19 military agreement. Earlier in the day, Republic of Korean inspectors reached the MDL via 11 small footpaths, which had been built over the past ten days to enable the mutual verification. They then met with North Korean officers at a mutual connection zone near the MDL, which has a yellow flag raised, at 9 AM. North Korean soldiers came out to receive Republic of Korean soldiers at the MDL. This was the first time this had occurred since the Korean War. For the on-site verification, the military authorities of each side sent a seven-member team to each GP. Each team was led by a colonel-level officer and consisted of five members for inspections and two members for shooting. Republic of Korea’s 77 inspectors confirmed that North Korea had withdrawn all firearms, equipment and troops from its GPs, had dismantled ground-based facilities, including watchtowers and crenels, and had destroyed the pathways to the underground facilities and retaining walls.

In the afternoon, North Korean inspectors crossed the MDL and carried out their own on-site verification of GPs on the South side in the same manner that the Republic of Korean inspectors had. Stressing the significance of the mutual on-site verification of GPs, an official with the ministry said, “This is the first time since the country’s division that South and North Korean active-duty soldiers have built footpaths in the DMZ and crossed the MDL peacefully. It clearly shows the willingness of the two Koreas’ military authorities to implement the military agreement.” 

South and North Korea adopted the ‘military agreement for the implementation of the Panmunjom Declaration,’ which prohibits any hostile acts on the ground, at sea and in the air, at the third inter-Korean summit held in Pyeongyang on September 19th. As part of this agreement, it was specified that the withdrawal of GPs would be completed within the year. At that time, the two Koreas chose 11 GPs within one kilometer from the MDL on each side, and agreed to preserve one GP on each side for historic and symbolic value, and possible peaceful uses in the future. South and North Korean military authorities began their withdrawal efforts on November 1st. To enable clear identification and verification, they raised a yellow flag, four meters in width and three meters in length, at each GP to be withdrawn. On the 11th of November, they completed the withdrawal of all troops and firearms from the 22 GPs that had been chosen on a trial basis. Following the South’s demolition of GPs in its side on November 11th, the North exploded its 10 GPs on November 20th after it notified the South of the demolition plan through the West Sea military communication channel. The on-site verification on Wednesday was to confirm the ongoing efforts of the two sides for the withdrawal of GPs on a trial basis. 

By Chul-Hwan, Kim < droid001@dema.mil.kr >

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