朝鲜半岛停战村将解除武装

For the first time in decades, the 1953 truce village between North and South Korea will be weapons-free by Saturday.

The two Koreas agreed last month to remove arms from Panmunjom, officially known as the Joint Security Area.

Armed soldiers from the North and the U.S.-led United Nations Command have glowered at each other across the frontier since the 1953 armistice that ended the fighting in Korea.

As soon as North and South Korean defense officials and U.N. experts verify the village is now weapons-free, 35 unarmed guards will patrol the crossing and visitors and tourists will once again have "freedom of movement."

Panmunjom had been a neutral zone, where visitors could walk around freely, until 1976 when North Korean forces opened fire on a work party chopping down a tree, killing two U.S. soldiers.

Both sides completed removing landmines from the Joint Security Area last week.

North and South Korea are still technically at war. A peace treaty has never been signed, only an armistice.

But talks between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have led to warmer ties and greater cooperation.

朝鲜和韩国上个月同意在官方称为联合安全区的板门店解除武装。

自1953年的停战协议使得朝鲜战争进入休战以来，朝鲜士兵和以美国为首的联合国军司令部的武装士兵们一直在边境上互相怒目而视。

一旦朝鲜和韩国的国防官员以及联合国专家证实板门店解除武装后，35名非武装警卫将在这个过境点巡逻，参观者和游客们将再次拥有“行动自由”。

板门店曾一度是一个中立区，游客可以在那里自由行动。但1976年发生朝鲜军队向砍伐树木的美军士兵开火，造成两名士兵丧生。

南北双方上周完成了联合安全区的地雷清除工作。

从技术上说，南北仍处于战争状态。双方从未签署和平条约，只有停战协定。

韩国总统文在寅和朝鲜领导人金正恩之间的谈判使得双方关系回暖，出现更多的合作。