SEOUL - Troops from North and South Korea began removing some landmines along their heavily fortified border on Monday, the South's defense ministry said, as part of a pact to reduce tension and build trust on the divided peninsula.
Project details were agreed during last month's summit in Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea, between its leader, Kim Jong Un, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in.
In a statement, the ministry said the two sides agreed to remove all landmines in the so-called Joint Security Area (JSA) in Panmunjom within the next 20 days, with military engineers performing the hazardous task on the South Korean side.
There was no immediate confirmation from North Korea that its troops had begun the process.
The deal also provides for removal of guard posts and weapons from the JSA to follow the removal of the mines, with the troops remaining there to be left unarmed.
The JSA is the only spot along the 250-km (155-mile) -long "demilitarized zone" (DMZ) where troops from both Koreas are face to face, and it is also staffed by United Nations troops.