Amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has approved a decision by the National Security Council to completely suspend the 2018 agreement with North Korea aimed at reducing military tensions.
Deputy Minister of Defense Cho Chang-rae announced the move, stating, “This measure will normalize all military activities of our army restricted by the 2018 agreement.” He emphasized that the responsibility for the current situation lies with the North Korean regime and warned of a strong military response to any new provocations, based on the South Korea-US joint defense stance.
The suspension of the agreement allows South Korea to resume all military activities near the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) and northwestern border islands, activities that had been paused for over five years. Seoul will also reinstall giant speakers in border areas to carry out propaganda activities against North Korea, a move likely to provoke Pyongyang.
The 2018 agreement, signed on September 19, aimed to reduce military tensions between the two Koreas by establishing land and sea buffer zones and prohibiting military exercises in these areas. It also included no-fly zones along the border to prevent accidents. The suspension of this agreement marks a significant escalation in the already tense relations between the two nations.