Posted April. 08, 2005 23:36,
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) said that the North allowed the entry of a South Korean fire helicopter into the demilitarized zone (DMZ), south of the military demarcation line (MDL) on April 8.
The MND explained that South Korea sent a telephone message to North Korea asking for the entry of helicopter to extinguish a fire that occurred inside the DMZ, in the Goseong area, Gangwon Province, through the United Nations Command in the morning of that day and that North Korea sent a message back to the South, allowing the Souths request at around 1:30 p.m.
With the Norths compliance with the Souths request, South Korea is now able to put out the fire at an early stage in the DMZ area, to which fire-fighting equipment was inaccessible up until recently.
An official of the MND noted, In accepting the request, North Korea demanded that people and equipment involved in fire-fighting shouldnt go over the DMZ, while getting the fire under control.
The South will go through the process of notifying the North of operating fire-fighting helicopters to extinguish wildfires in the DMZ by direct phone line from the U.N. Command Military Armistice Commission from now on.