Kim Yang Gon, United Front Department Director of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), Kim Kwan-jin, chief of the National Security Office of South Korea, Hwang Pyong So, director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army of DPRK, and Unification Minister of South Korea Hong Yong-pyo, (L to R), pose for a photo after their talks at the Panmunjom truce village inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) dividing the two Koreas, Aug. 25, 2015. (Photo/Xinhua)
South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will lift the order of their militaries on the highest alert from noon Tuesday, Seoul's defense ministry said.
Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok told a regular press briefing Tuesday morning that the South Korean military would take proportionate actions and closely monitor the move of DPRK forces as the DPRK agreed to release the order of its troops into a state of war from noon.
As agreed upon during the inter-Korean dialogue, South Korea will stop propaganda broadcasts in frontline areas from noon, the spokesman said, but he noted that the broadcast loudspeakers would be stationed in where they are as the removal of the speakers were not discussed.
The DPRK had denounced the propaganda broadcast as a declaration of war.
Kim said that South Korean troops will be placed on the highest alert till noon before downgrading the readiness level gradually.
The two Koreas agreed early Tuesday to defuse tensions on the peninsula following a 43-hour marathon dialogue at the truce village of Panmunjom.
Pyongyang expressed regrets over injured South Korean soldiers caused by landmines blast that happened on the southern section of the demilitarized zone (DMZ) on Aug. 4.
The incident escalated the inter-Korean tensions into a crisis that militaries of the two countries were put on the highest alert. The DPRK agreed to lift the order of its forces to enter a state war.
