11/22/2018, 10.22
KOREA
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After 14 years, a road to unite the Koreas and recover the remains of the fallen

The dirt road is located on Arrowhead Ridge in Cheorwon. Between 1952 and 1953, three important battles took place on the ridge. The route will be used to transport personnel and equipment for excavation work. Over 200 South Korean soldiers and dozens of soldiers from the UN Command are believed to be buried there.

Seoul (AsiaNews / Agencies) - This morning the two Koreas have achieved the first road link in 14 years: a tactical road three kilometers long, which crosses the military demarcation line in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The operation is part of a joint project, which between April and October 2019 will unearth the remains of soldiers who lost their lives on a famous Korean War battlefield.

The dirt road is located on Arrowhead Ridge (or Hill 281) at Cheorwon, 90 kilometers northeast of Seoul. The southern part of the road is about 1.7 kilometers long, while the northern part extends for about 1.3 kilometers. The route will be used to transport personnel and equipment for excavation work.

Seoul and Pyongyang began road construction and demining operations in Arrowhead Ridge to ensure the safety of the initiative. Between 1952 and 1953, three important battles took place on the ridge. More than 200 South Korean soldiers and dozens of soldiers from the UN Command in Korea (UNC), the United States and the French are believed to be buried there.

The excavation project is part of a military agreement that Korean defense ministers signed after the third summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang, in September. The military agreement includes a series of measures to strengthen mutual trust and arms control measures, such as the disarmament of landmines in the Joint Security Area (JSA) of Panmunjom and the disposal of 20 guard posts within the DMZ . Added to this is the creation of air, land and sea buffer zones to prevent accidental collisions.

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