South Korea to test withdrawing troops from DMZ

SEOUL, July 24 (UPI) -- South Korea is seeking to pull troops from the Demilitarized Zone on the border with North Korea as agreed at the inter-Korean summit in April.

The Ministry of Defense said in its report to the National Defense Committee at the National Assembly that it will withdraw forces as a trial from the surveillance Guard Post as the first step to turn the heavily patrolled DMZ into a ground for peace, Yonhap reported.

"After the test withdrawal at GP, we are aiming for a full withdrawal of troops in line with research on historical remains and ecology in the border region," the ministry said in the report.

The ministry is considering reducing the number of guard forces at the Joint Security Area and allowing people to pass through freely. The JSA is located at the village of Panmunjom, where the summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in was held.

The ministry also plans to invite the United States and North Korea to conduct a joint excavation for remains of soldiers in the DMZ area.

"We will push for the joint excavation in the DMZ area to implement the agreements between the North and South and the U.S. and the North in the summits," it said.