A scene from the first of the 3 scheduled meetings of the two Koreas and UNC to discuss the demilitarization of the Joint Security Area of the truce village of Panmunjom on Oct. 16 at Panmunjom. (Photo:Ministry of National Defense)

The Joint Security Area (JSA) inside the Panmunjom Truce Village located in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) may open up for tourist visits, according to negotiators at a meeting between the two Koreas and the United Nations Command.

Tourists, including those from foreign countries, will be allowed inside the JSA from 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily.

The negotiators for the two Koreas and the United Nations Command agreed to remove the Military Demarcation Line inside the truce village of Panmunjom, except some guard posts to prevent people from crossing into the two Koreas without permits.

The Ministry of Defense said the first meeting of the two Koreas and the UNC took place from 10 a.m. and until 1:15 p.m. on Oct. 16 to take up demilitarization-related issues such as the withdrawal of weapons and guard posts, reducing the number of guards and equipment inside JSA.

The Defense Ministry said the representatives of the two Koreas evaluated the progress so far on the removal of mines from inside the DMZ, which started on Oct. 1 and was to end Oct. 20. Within five days from the last mine being removed, they will withdraw the guards and guard posts from the DMZ.

Both Koreas will close a total of nine guard posts inside the JSA, including the 5 guard posts for South Korea and 4 for North Korea. Two guard posts - one on each side - located on the edges of the joint security area will remain. North Korea has a guard post on the edge of the ”River of No Return,” while South Korea has a guard post on the southern edge of the “the Bridge for Walk.”

Also taken up at the joint meeting was military guards inside the JSA not carrying weapons while on duty. The future joint meetings will discuss the new regulations for military guards inside the JSA to carry no weapons. The truce agreement signed in 1953 specifies that each Korea can maintain 35 guard troops inside the JSA including five officers.

Officials of the Defense Ministry said the first measure to relax military tension between the troops of the two Koreas inside the JSA was realized for the first time.

The two Koreas are wrapping up their demining operations in part of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) to carry out their plan to disarm the Joint Security Area (JSA) in the buffer zone separating them, a government source here said Oct. 19.

The South Korean military has almost completed its demining work, while the North Korean military is expected to finish its work on Saturday in line with the two sides' recent agreement aimed at reducing border tensions and preventing accidental clashes.

According to the agreement signed after the third summit between President Moon Jae-in and his North Korean counterpart Kim Jong-un last month in Pyongyang, the two militaries began 20-day demining operations on Oct. 1.

“Our side has virtually wrapped up operations to remove land mines for the JSA disarmament, the source said on condition of anonymity.” “We understand that the North would also begin finishing their work today and will end it sometime tomorrow.”

During the demining process, the North discovered and disposed of some five land mines, while the South found no land mines in the area of its responsibility.