The military authorities of North and South Korea on Wednesday verified the removal of a total of 22 guard posts along their border, South Korea's presidential office said.

The South's verification teams crossed the Military Demarcation Line into the North in the morning to check the removal of 11 guard posts within 1 kilometer of the border with the South, according to the South's Defense Ministry.

The North's verification teams crossed into the South in the afternoon to do the same.

One guard post per side was retained for historic value but all firearms were removed.

The removal of the guard posts was part of an agreement that the two Koreas signed at an inter-Korean summit held between South Korean President Moon Jae In and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang in September to ease military tension between the two sides.

It is considered a preliminary measure and the Koreas are expected to discuss removing more guard posts inside the Demilitarized Zone, a 4-km-wide, 250-km-long stretch of land between the two Koreas.

Twenty guard posts had been destroyed by the end of last month.

N. Korea demolishes 10 guard posts in DMZ as agreed: S. Korea