DMZ Unexploded Ordnance Excavation Resumes After One Day... Any Unusual Movements from Buk?

Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo is inspecting the site of remains excavation in the Hwasalmeori area, our side within the Civilian Control Line in Cheorwon-gun, Gangwon Province, on the morning of the 11th. Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Yang Nak-gyu] The excavation work for remains at Hwaseolmari Hill in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) of Gangwon Province resumed just one day after being halted. Some analysts suggest that the excavation restarted because there were no unusual movements from the North Korean military.

A Ministry of National Defense official stated on the 18th, "The excavation of the remains of the Korean War casualties at Hwaseolmari Hill, which was temporarily suspended yesterday (17th), has resumed normally today."

The military had suspended the excavation work at Hwaseolmari Hill, which began on April 20 this year, the day before, reportedly considering the heightened military tensions due to North Korea's announced military activities. However, it appears that the situation was not deemed threatening enough to completely halt the excavation work conducted in the South Korean area, leading to the resumption of operations.

According to the September 19 military agreement, South and North Korea agreed last year to jointly excavate remains around Hwaseolmari Hill, but since the North did not respond, the South has been conducting the work unilaterally. Hwaseolmari Hill was the site of four intense battles from 1951 to 1953. It is one of the battle areas in the "Iron Triangle," where South Korean, U.S., and French forces fought against North Korean and Chinese troops.

At a regular briefing on the same day, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said, "Our military is closely monitoring North Korean military movements 24 hours a day and maintaining a firm readiness posture," adding, "We are keeping a close watch on related activities, but there is nothing additional to report at this time."

Min Hong-chul, a member of the National Assembly and chairman of the National Defense Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, also commented on the North Korean military's movements, stating, "There have been no observations of troop movements, forward deployments, or firing activities yet." Appearing on KBS Radio's "Kim Kyung-rae's Strongest Current Affairs," Min said, "The North Korean General Staff announced a series of military measures, and the Joint Chiefs of Staff and various units are maintaining strict alertness, but no unusual movements have been reported so far." Min, who was elected chairman of the National Defense Committee on the 15th, receives frequent reports from the Ministry of National Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.