By Kim Young Shin

The two Koreas connected a tactical road across the Military Demarcation Line inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in Cheorwon, Gangwon-do Province on Nov. 22 to accelerate the joint project to excavate Korean War remains.

According to the Ministry of National Defense, the two sides began the road work in October.

The 12-meter-wide unpaved road will be used to transport the war remains which are usually fragile.

The two sides agreed to establish a connected road at Arrowhead Ridge, a notorious battle site, to support the joint excavation near the area within this year in the Agreement on the Implementation of the Historic Panmunjeom Declaration in the Military Domain, signed on Sept. 19.

It is the first road between the two Koreas to be connected in the 14 years since the joining of the Gyeongui Line road along the west coast in October 2003 and the Donghae Line road along the east coast in December 2004.

“We will finish stabilizing and flattening the road and building a gutter by the end of this year,” said the ministry. “The details for using this road will be discussed between the two sides as specified in the Sept. 19 agreement.”

ysk1111@korea.kr