North and South Korea disarm at border

Dozens of North and South Korean soldiers have crossed over the world’s most heavily armed border as they inspected the sites of rival frontline guard posts to verify they had been removed.

The checks were part of Korean engagement efforts that come amid stalled Us-north Korea nuclear disarmament talks.

Soldiers from the two Koreas exchanged cigarettes and chatted as they inspected the dismantlement or disarmament of 22 guard posts – 11 from each country – inside the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) that forms their border.

The inspections were mostly symbolic, as the removals will leave South Korea with about 50 other DMZ posts and North Korea with about 150, according to defence experts in South Korea.