No Response from North Korea to Traditional Inter-Korean Message

Ministry of National Defense: "Two Traditional Messages Sent to North Korea Under New Government... Transmission and Reception Are Good"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] North Korea has not responded to South Korea's traditional military messages to the North.

On the 25th, Moon Hong-sik, acting spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, said at a regular briefing held at the ministry building, in response to related questions, "We believe the traditional military messages to the North were delivered well," adding, "However, there has been no reply from (North) Korea."

Moon also added that since the new government took office, the military has sent traditional military messages to the North twice. According to the Ministry of National Defense, since the inter-Korean military communication line was reopened in October last year, voice calls and fax sending and receiving have been possible, and regular communication is being conducted normally.

Defense Minister Lee Jong-seop also appeared at the National Assembly’s National Defense Committee comprehensive audit the day before and stated, "We believe our notifications to the North have been delivered," but "(however) no reply from North Korea has come."

In response to a question about whether any information from North Korea besides reports from state-run media has been received, the minister explained, "The only way to confirm (North Korea's position) is through those (North Korean media reports)," adding, "The communication line between the military authorities of South and North Korea is alive, but nothing has been sent to us from the North."

From the 14th to this day, the North Korean military has conducted artillery fire, including multiple rocket launchers, nine times at different locations on the east and west coasts. Notably, the shells fired consecutively by the North Korean military fell north of the West Sea NLL within the 'maritime buffer zone' set in the East and West Sea border waters under the 2018 'September 19 Military Agreement' between South and North Korea.

The 'maritime buffer zone' was established at that time by South and North Korea to prevent accidental clashes or escalation of tensions by closing coastal artillery positions and prohibiting maritime training and firing of heavy weapons such as coastal artillery. Therefore, North Korea's artillery fire toward this area violates the 'September 19 Agreement.'

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