Posted on 10/01/2018 3:29:20 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Troops from North and South Korea began removing some landmines along their heavily fortified border on Monday, the South’s defense ministry said, as part of a pact to reduce tension and build trust on the divided peninsula.
Project details were agreed during last month’s summit in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, between its leader, Kim Jong Un, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
In a statement, the ministry said the two sides agreed to remove all landmines in the so-called Joint Security Area (JSA) in Panmunjom within the next 20 days, with military engineers performing the hazardous task on the South Korean side.
There was no immediate confirmation from North Korea that its troops had begun the process.
The deal also provides for removal of guard posts and weapons from the JSA to follow the removal of the mines, with the troops remaining there to be left unarmed.
The JSA is the only spot along the 250-km (155-mile) -long “demilitarized zone” (DMZ) where troops from both Koreas are face to face, and it is also staffed by United Nations troops.
In November 2017, North Korean troops at the JSA shot one of their soldiers defecting to the South five times.
Since then, however, it has been the scene of the first dramatic April summit between Kim and Moon, as well as their second, more low-key meeting, in May.
At the April summit, the two Koreas announced their intention to turn the DMZ – long a symbol of tension and division – into a “peace zone.”
They have already dismantled propaganda loudspeakers and some guard posts along the border.
Demining projects are also set to begin on Monday in Gangwon province in eastern South Korea, to allow teams to search for the remains of soldiers killed in the 1950-1953 Korean War, the ministry added.
More than a million landmines were laid in border areas including the DMZ and the Civilian Control Zone in the South, say demining experts, and civilians and soldiers alike have been killed or injured by them.
In 2015, two South Korean soldiers were maimed by what Seoul said was a North Korean landmine, an accusation the North denied.
If anyone ever deserved the Nobel Peace Prize, it would be Donald J. Trump (to be shared with Kim Jong Un). Furthermore, the Peace Prizes of corruptocrat Barack Obama, terrorist Yassar Arafat, and con artist Al Gore should be retracted.
But I’m pretty darn sure none of those things will ever happen.
Will History treat him right? I sure hope so.
This is from Pakistan? Where’s the U.S. media, celebrating this great achievement from our President? Oh wait, Obama is no longer the Prez and they can’t embarrass him with news of something (else) he couldn’t do...
Awarding the Nobel to obama proved its worthlessness...I wouldn’t accept it.
It’s probably a tad early to cash in the peace dividend. All that bellicose Northern paranoia did not suddenly disappear. The only changes so far have been a gloss of positive propaganda from the North. Whatever they have dismantled can be rebuilt. Deception has always been a powerful element in warfare.
Not so fast. There is no evidence in the article that NOKO is doing anything (”There was no immediate confirmation from North Korea that its troops had begun the process.”). Only SOKO is actively removing its mines at this time.
This is from Pakistan? Where’s the U.S. media, celebrating this great achievement from our President?
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If the MSM can’t put an anti-Trump spin on a story, then they don’t report it.
Like President Trump said, “Peace is the prize.” He could care less about the Nobel prize. He knows it doesn’t have any value in anyone’s eyes but the left.
True enough, but Trump getting the Peace Prize would be a major slap in the left’s face. Heads would explode everywhere, it would be epic!
Literary reference to George Orwell's 1984
NOT. SO. FAST!!!
Correct. There is not a damn bit of verified evidence that the DPRK KPA is likewise removing mines on their side. We are only taking their word on it. Why would anyone take North Korea’s word on anything (and the gullible socialist Moon Administration’s pro-North Korea spin on everything), and believe NOKO mere statements and promises that have no back up in infrastructure for independent confirmation. To believe them one would have to maintain firm control of the bong and the crack pipe and keep puffin’ away.
Moon belongs to the Juche cult developed by Kim Il-sung. in other words, Moon would have no problem (once unification is complete) relinquishing his position to Kim Jong-un; taking Kim’s word is not what Moon is doing - he is playing up to his hero.
North Korea doesn’t need troops to clear landmines. They’ll just drive a herd of political prisoners across the area.
SoKo seems to be in an all-fired hurry to merge with the Kim.
When a ROK Army (South Korean) soldier salutes an officer he says, loudly “Tongil!” which means reunification. That has been true for generations.
There’s reunification and then there’s submission. I get the feeling that SoKo is willing to buy the former with the latter. Kim has beguiled them into not being cautious enough.
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