Jung Kyung-doo: "Partial Impact on Reconnaissance Assets Due to September 19 Military Agreement"

Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo is attending the full meeting of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee held at the National Assembly on the 4th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Yang Nak-gyu] Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-du explained that the restriction on the operation of reconnaissance assets near the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) according to the September 19 inter-Korean military agreement "affects about 5 km in the eastern area."

On the 22nd, during a government inspection session at the National Assembly, Future United Party lawmaker Shin Won-sik questioned Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-du, saying, "Our military possesses drones worth about 700 billion won, but to conduct reconnaissance without violating the September 19 inter-Korean military agreement, it would cost about 5 trillion won, and including pilot recruitment, airfield construction, and maintenance, the total would be 15 trillion won, three times the purchase cost." Jeong responded, "High-altitude unmanned aerial vehicles are currently performing operational missions normally, and projects are underway to supplement any deficiencies."

Concerns about restrictions on reconnaissance asset operations near the MDL under the September 19 inter-Korean military agreement have been consistently raised. The two Koreas agreed in the "Military Agreement for the Implementation of the Panmunjom Declaration" to establish no-fly zones to halt hostile acts in the air. Fixed-wing aircraft have no-fly zones of 40 km east and 20 km west from the MDL, while rotary-wing aircraft have a 10 km zone. For drones, the no-fly zone is 15 km east and 10 km west from the MDL, and for balloons, it is 25 km. Our military operates reconnaissance aircraft Geumgang and Baekdu (RC-800) and Saemae (RF-16) near the MDL to monitor North Korean-related activities. Geumgang and Saemae collect video intelligence, while Baekdu collects signal intelligence. Geumgang and Saemae reconnaissance aircraft fly over areas south of the MDL and can collect video intelligence from regions connecting Nampo to Hamhung in North Korea.

In 2018, Air Force Chief of Staff Lee Wang-geun stated during a national audit held at Gyeryongdae, Chungnam, in response to a question from then-Democratic Party lawmaker Choi Jae-sung about operational restrictions, "Currently, Air Force reconnaissance assets collect information within the no-fly zones agreed upon by the two Koreas," adding, "There is no problem with signal intelligence collection, but there are some restrictions on video intelligence collection." However, he added, "This can be sufficiently overcome by utilizing U.S.-ROK ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) assets." This means that gaps can be filled by adjusting the surveillance areas of U.S. reconnaissance assets such as the U-2, Global Hawk, and reconnaissance satellites.

Former Army Chief of Staff Kim Yong-woo also responded during that year's national audit to a question from Bareunmirae Party lawmaker Ha Tae-kyung, who asked whether the establishment of no-fly zones near the MDL under the inter-Korean military agreement restricts reconnaissance asset operations. Kim said, "Some UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) held by corps are restricted, but higher-level unit assets can sufficiently monitor the movements of North Korean tactical units."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.