Excavation part of realizing Pres. Moon's vision of turning DMZ into peace zone
- 4 years ago
DMZ유해발굴은 문재인 한반도 평화 프로세스 구상의 마중물
The excavation of war remains is more than just national pride or a duty for South Koreans... it holds prominence in cross-border ties.
Because projects of this kind almost always require consent from both Koreas, it's been a symbol for improvement in inter-Korean relations.
Kim Ji-yeon explains further.
The excavation of war remains... especially those buried inside the Demilitarized Zone... is a stepping stone towards turning the DMZ into a peace zone... a vision proclaimed by President Moon Jae-in in Berlin in 2017 when he called for the denuclearization of the peninsula through peaceful means.
"The goal is to jointly halt provocative acts along the Military Demarcation Line. Even at this very moment a war without gunfire continues. The level of military tensions for both sides is showing no signs of waning."
President Moon called on the international community for cooperation in removing landmines from the DMZ... a prerequisite in the excavation of war remains.
The brief improvement of inter-Korean relations in 2018... following the signing of the inter-Korean Comprehensive Military Agreement... led to the South Korean military being able to remove mines at the Arrowhead Ridge battle site.
It was an historic achievement as the battlesite was considered as one of the fiercest during the Korean War... with mines unearthed last year for the first time since the signing of the Armistice Agreement.
Last year alone, more than two-thousand bone fragments... and some 67-thousand personal items have been excavated.
For the first time last June... bone fragments presumed to be belonging to American or French soldiers who fought for the South Korean side during the Korean War... have also been found.
Despite a one-day hiatus of operations following the North's blowing up of the inter-Korean liaison office earlier this month, the South Korean military continues to carry out excavation projects... as well as carrying out detailed examinations and DNA analysis to identify who the bone fragments belong to.
Kim Ji-yeon, Arirang News.
The excavation of war remains is more than just national pride or a duty for South Koreans... it holds prominence in cross-border ties.
Because projects of this kind almost always require consent from both Koreas, it's been a symbol for improvement in inter-Korean relations.
Kim Ji-yeon explains further.
The excavation of war remains... especially those buried inside the Demilitarized Zone... is a stepping stone towards turning the DMZ into a peace zone... a vision proclaimed by President Moon Jae-in in Berlin in 2017 when he called for the denuclearization of the peninsula through peaceful means.
"The goal is to jointly halt provocative acts along the Military Demarcation Line. Even at this very moment a war without gunfire continues. The level of military tensions for both sides is showing no signs of waning."
President Moon called on the international community for cooperation in removing landmines from the DMZ... a prerequisite in the excavation of war remains.
The brief improvement of inter-Korean relations in 2018... following the signing of the inter-Korean Comprehensive Military Agreement... led to the South Korean military being able to remove mines at the Arrowhead Ridge battle site.
It was an historic achievement as the battlesite was considered as one of the fiercest during the Korean War... with mines unearthed last year for the first time since the signing of the Armistice Agreement.
Last year alone, more than two-thousand bone fragments... and some 67-thousand personal items have been excavated.
For the first time last June... bone fragments presumed to be belonging to American or French soldiers who fought for the South Korean side during the Korean War... have also been found.
Despite a one-day hiatus of operations following the North's blowing up of the inter-Korean liaison office earlier this month, the South Korean military continues to carry out excavation projects... as well as carrying out detailed examinations and DNA analysis to identify who the bone fragments belong to.
Kim Ji-yeon, Arirang News.