[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] 5 Years Since the September 19 Inter-Korean Military Agreement... Will They Declare Its Termination?

5th Anniversary of the September 19 Inter-Korean Military Agreement
North Violates Agreement and Conducts Military Provocations Annually

The September 19 Inter-Korean Military Agreement, established to prevent military clashes between the South and the North, marked its 5th anniversary on the 19th. Amid strengthened security and military cooperation among South Korea, the United States, and Japan under the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, North Korea has violated the military agreement by engaging in high-intensity provocations, drawing attention to whether the government will proceed with its termination.

The September 19 Inter-Korean Military Agreement, agreed upon by the two Koreas in 2018, consists of 20 articles across 5 areas. Its purpose is to prevent accidental military clashes in the contact zone, establishing no-fly zones, artillery firing and outdoor maneuver training bans for regimental-level units and above, and (maritime) buffer zones based on the Military Demarcation Line (MDL).

In September 2018, a military agreement signing ceremony was held at the Baekhwawon Guesthouse in Pyongyang with President Moon Jae-in and Chairman Kim Jong-un in attendance. Minister of National Defense Song Young-moo and Minister of People's Armed Forces No Kwang-chol are taking a commemorative photo after completing the signing ceremony of the military agreement. Photo by Pyongyang Joint Press Corps.

However, there have been 17 explicit violations of the agreement by North Korea. On December 26 last year, North Korea again violated the military agreement by infiltrating five small drones south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL). President Yoon Seok-yeol instructed in a briefing on drone response strategies last January, "If North Korea provokes by invading our territory again, consider suspending the effectiveness of the September 19 Military Agreement."

Shin Won-sik, nominated as Minister of National Defense, expressed opposition in an interview with this newspaper at the time of the military agreement regarding the withdrawal of guard posts (GPs) within 1 km inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), stating, "It essentially opens a path for North Korea to enter our side within an hour in wartime." Furthermore, in September 2019, Shin accused former Defense Ministers Song Young-moo and Jeong Kyeong-doo of ‘treason’ by filing a complaint with the prosecution, claiming the September 19 Military Agreement was unilaterally favorable to North Korea.

Even after his nomination as Minister of National Defense, Shin maintained his stance on the September 19 Military Agreement, stating, "Personally, I believe it is desirable that it be definitely terminated." Kim In-ae, deputy spokesperson of the Ministry of Unification, recently said, "An agreement that only we unilaterally abide by while North Korea does not is not desirable," fueling speculation that the government may be moving toward terminating the military agreement.

Some argue that the South Korean government should be cautious about mentioning suspension or termination of the agreement first, as it could provide justification for North Korea’s military provocations.

Between the two Koreas, starting with the ‘July 4 South-North Joint Statement’ in 1972, nearly 260 agreements have been concluded through over 680 inter-Korean talks over the past 50 years. While many agreements have become obsolete due to changing times and inter-Korean relations, the South Korean government has never been the first to declare termination or invalidation.

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