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North and South Korea complete joint survey on waterway

By Wooyoung Lee
Survey teams of the two Koreas hold a meeting on a ship at the mouth of the Han River near Gyodong Island in Incheon, west of Seoul, on Nov. 5, 2018. Pool Photo/Yonhap
Survey teams of the two Koreas hold a meeting on a ship at the mouth of the Han River near Gyodong Island in Incheon, west of Seoul, on Nov. 5, 2018. Pool Photo/Yonhap

SEOUL, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- North and South Korea has completed Sunday a month-long joint survey on waterways at the mouth of Han River near the border area.

"We look forward to a safe and free access by civilian boats in the waterways at the mouth of Han River next year," Vice Defense Minister Seo Joo-seok was quoted as saying in a Chosun Ilbo report.

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The survey was made as part of the October agreement between the North and South to ease military tensions at border areas. North and South Korean officials also agreed to withdraw some of the front-line guard posts at the border while stopping any hostile acts over land, sea, and air.

North and South Korean Navy officials and experts traveled some 410 miles of waterways from the border town of Paju to the western island of Ganghwa to investigate the speed of water flow, change of water level and topography underwater, according to Joongang Ilbo.

The team discovered 21 reefs underwater and will mark their location and size on a navigational map, which will later be released for a civilian use.

The Korea Hydrographic and Oceanographic Agency said it will examine the data collected from the survey and create a navigational map for civilian vessels by the end of January.

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