South Korea's government has approved the suspension of a military agreement with North Korea, allowing for tougher responses to North Korean provocations. The decision follows recent escalations in animosities between the two Koreas, triggered by North Korea's launch of trash-carrying balloons across the border in response to South Korean civilian leafletting campaigns.
The Cabinet Council in South Korea passed a proposal to suspend the 2018 inter-Korean agreement aimed at reducing frontline military tensions. The proposal is expected to be signed by President Yoon Suk Yeol, formalizing the suspension. Prime Minister Han Duck-soo highlighted that the 2018 deal has compromised South Korean military readiness in the face of ongoing North Korean provocations, including balloon campaigns, tests of nuclear-capable weapons, and GPS signal jamming.
The military agreement, established during a period of brief reconciliation between the Koreas, mandated the cessation of hostile acts at the border, such as live firing drills and psychological warfare. However, critics in South Korea have argued that the agreement weakened the South's war readiness while North Korea's nuclear capabilities remained intact.
In response to North Korea's recent balloon campaign, South Korea has vowed 'unbearable' retaliatory measures. North Korea subsequently announced the halt of its balloon activities. The suspension of the 2018 agreement will enable South Korea to conduct frontline military drills, with potential plans to resume propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts aimed at North Korea.
The 2018 agreement had already been in a state of uncertainty, with both Koreas breaching its terms amid heightened tensions following North Korea's spy satellite launch last November.
