"It carries a great meaning because the road was built in Cheorwon, which lies at the very center of the peninsula, for the first time since the Armistice Agreement was signed (to halt the 1950-53 Cold War conflict)," Seoul's defense ministry said in a press release.

"It is also meaningful historically as it paves the way for efforts to practically push for the joint excavation project aimed at healing the scars of war through this road that was built at the center of one of the fiercest battles," it added.

Since October, the Koreas have been constructing the road and demining the ridge to ensure safety ahead of next year's excavation project. The South's part of the road is around 1.7 kilometers long, while the North's part spans about 1.3 km. The road is up to 12 meters wide.

The unpaved road will be used to transport personnel and equipment for the retrieval of troop remains.

There were three key battles against communist forces on Arrowhead Ridge from 1952-53. The remains of more than 200 South Korean soldiers and dozens of UN Command forces, such as US and French troops, are thought to be buried there.

The excavation project is part of a military agreement the Koreas' defense ministers signed after the third summit between President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang in September.

The military agreement includes a series of confidence building and conventional arms control measures, such as disarming the Joint Security Area in the DMZ and setting up air, ground and maritime buffer zones to prevent accidental clashes. (Yonhap)