In this handout photo provided by South Korea's Ministry of National Defence, soldiers of South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) greet each other within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), on Dec. 12, 2018. (Xinhua/South Korean Ministry of National Defence)
SEOUL, Dec. 17 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's military on Monday confirmed the disablement of 11 guard posts of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) after the on-site verification works last week.
Eleven seven-member verification teams from both South Korea and the DPRK conducted verification works on Dec. 12 to confirm whether the respective 11 guard posts in the DMZ, which has left the Korean Peninsula divided since the 1950-53 Korean War ended with armistice, were demolished as agreed upon.
The two Koreas reached a comprehensive military agreement during the Pyongyang summit in September between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un to reduce military tensions in border areas.
Under the agreement, the two sides pulled out weapons and soldiers from 11 respective guard posts and destroyed them on a trial basis. One of the guard posts was preserved each for their historical value.
The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement that its military confirmed a complete withdrawal of soldiers and weapons from the DPRK guard posts, noting that it reached a conclusion of the disablement of the guard posts.
Some of crenels, through which rifles can be fired, were detected near the guard posts, but they lost their function for battle, the JSC noted.
Excluding the demolished ones, South Korea and the DPRK reportedly have about 50 and 150 guard posts each in the DMZ.