ROK, DPRK to lift military alert from noon Tuesday

SEOUL - The Republic of Korea (ROK) 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 ROK 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, the ROK 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 ROK 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 ROK 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.