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South Korean troops with mine-clearing equipment Thursday marched into the buffer zone here that separated the two Koreas for half a century to begin demining work.

Witnesses said some 100 soldiers, some bearing loaded weapons and others with demining gear, marched through an open gate leading into the demilitarized zone, known as the DMZ.

The DMZ is the no-man's land that has separated the hostile North and South since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.

The troops are to help clear mines from a 250-meter (110-yard) wide DMZ corridor to allow for the construction of a rail link and an accompanying road between the North and South, severed five decades ago.

On Wednesday, ground-breaking ceremonies were held on each side of the border for railway and road links under agreements signed two years ago.

The establishment of transport links has been heralded here as an historic breakthrough in efforts to unite the rival North and South.

Lieutenant Colonel Kim Sye-Hwan, commanding the operation, told AFP the demining work would be difficult and dangerous but pledged to accomplish the task.

"The soldiers are now entering a dangerous minefield," he said. "We will do our best to complete the work by the end of the year."

North Korean troops were also expected to enter the buffer zone to begin demining on their size of the DMZ.

"North Korean soldiers are doing their work at the same time as us," said Kim.

The DMZ is a four-kilometre (2.4-mile) wide buffer zone that runs 250 kilometers (155 miles) from sea to sea and is uninhabited but strewn with millions of landmines.

A combat unit of 50 troops was first to enter the DMZ. The soldiers moved slowly and aimed their rifles ahead of them. They will act as guards for the 50-strong engineering squad who will engage in the delicate task of clearing mines.

North and South have agreed to link up a railway, the Gyeongui Line, through here on the west coast to China and another railroad, the Donghae Line, on the east coast to Russia.

The railway project was agreed following a landmark summit between the leaders of both Koreas in June 2000, but has been delayed amid on-off relations between the two sides.

Late last month, the two Koreas finally put rapprochement back on track by agreeing to resume work to relink the cross-border links.

Military authorities from both sides on Tuesday exchanged an accord to ensure the safety of the soldiers and agreed to set up a military hotline to avoid any possible military clashes.

The units entering the DMZ were from the 1st engineering brigade of the South Korean army's first division.

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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