Jung Kyung-doo: "Our Deterrence Has Not Weakened Since the September 19 Military Agreement"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo emphasized that our military deterrence has never weakened even after the establishment of the no-fly zone and other regulations under the September 19 military agreement.

On the 22nd, in response to a question from Shin Won-sik, a member of the Future United Party, during a government inspection session, Minister Jeong said, "We currently maintain strong deterrence and are prepared 24 hours a day."

Regarding Shin's assertion that military deterrence has weakened due to the establishment of the no-fly zone, he replied, "I do not agree. It has been the same in the past and now, and rather, there are many areas where power enhancement is currently taking place."

In response to Shin's question that although our conventional forces excluding nuclear weapons have doubled, this advantage has weakened due to the no-fly zone, Minister Jeong said, "Simply comparing military strength between the South and North by quantity is wrong. That is an outdated method," adding, "We now have weapon systems capable of accurately striking medium- and long-range targets, which is different from the past."

Regarding the impact of the September 19 agreement, he stated, "If the situation shifts to wartime, the September 19 inter-Korean military agreement will be nullified."

When asked if there are alternatives to drones for North Korean reconnaissance after the September 19 agreement, Minister Jeong answered, "We are operating more ROK-US intelligence and surveillance assets to verify target information, so there is little impact compared to the past."

In response to criticism about not conducting ROK-US joint exercises to deter provocations, he said, "We are conducting them," and added, "Everything we usually do is to develop such capabilities."

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