Government and Ruling Party Propose Suspension of 9·19 Agreement... Opposition Warns "Only More Conflicts"

Defense Minister Shin Won-sik Reviews Suspension of Inter-Korean Military Agreement

The government and ruling party have emerged as a variable in inter-Korean relations by starting a review of the September 19 Inter-Korean Military Agreement. Shin Won-sik, the newly appointed Minister of National Defense, suggested suspending the agreement's effectiveness, citing Hamas's surprise attack on Israel as a factor that increased the necessity to suspend the agreement. In response, the opposition expressed concerns, saying, "Suspending the effectiveness of the September 19 Military Agreement will only increase clashes between the two Koreas."

On the 11th, Minister Shin visited the Army Ground Operations Command's Firepower Operations Headquarters and stated, "The September 19 Military Agreement has significantly limited our superior surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities against the North, thereby threatening the nation's and people's right to self-defense," adding, "As the Minister of National Defense responsible for the safety of the people, I will suspend the effectiveness of the flawed September 19 agreement on urgent matters that need to be restored as soon as possible."

Shin Won-sik, Minister of National Defense, is leaving the National Assembly National Defense Committee audit held at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 10th. On this day, the opposition party, the Democratic Party of Korea, posted pickets on every seat demanding the withdrawal of Shin Won-sik's appointment as Minister of National Defense, and the People Power Party refused to enter the audit venue, so the meeting could not even begin. Photo by the National Assembly Press Photographers Group

The day before, during his inauguration greeting at the Ministry of National Defense press room, he also mentioned Hamas's surprise attack on Israel, arguing, "South Korea faces a much stronger threat, and the only way to respond is through reconnaissance and surveillance," thereby advocating for the suspension of the September 19 Military Agreement's effectiveness.

Kim Young-ho, Minister of Unification, also mentioned the need to suspend the agreement during the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee's audit on the 11th, saying, "(The September 19 Military Agreement) contains provisions that make it very difficult for us to detect North Korea's long-range artillery provocations or military provocations in advance."

Yoon Jae-ok, floor leader of the People Power Party, also stated at the party's audit countermeasure meeting on the 10th, "There are calls to comprehensively review the September 19 agreement in light of the Hamas attack," indicating that the ruling party also supports a full review of the September 19 Military Agreement.

On the other hand, the opposition expressed concerns that the September 19 Military Agreement was intended to reduce accidental clashes between the two Koreas, and that its termination could only heighten tensions. Yoon Gun-young, a member of the Democratic Party who served as the Blue House National Situation Room Chief under the Moon Jae-in administration, said on MBC's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' on the 12th, "I want to ask who benefits if the September 19 Military Agreement is terminated," adding, "Even if the effectiveness of the September 19 Military Agreement is suspended, we stand to lose much more than we gain."

Yoon said, "The most important thing is to prevent North Korea from firing missiles or long-range artillery, not to engage in a power struggle," and added, "What the government must do is to ensure that North Korea takes no military action; punishing, retaliating, or overwhelming them requires having the military strength and security capabilities to do so."

Kim Byung-joo, a four-star general and Democratic Party lawmaker, also expressed concerns on the same radio program, saying, "The September 19 Military Agreement materialized buffer zones on land, sea, and air," and warned, "If its effectiveness is suspended, tensions between South and North Korea will escalate significantly, and accidental or intentional clashes will occur much more frequently, increasing the likelihood of incidents similar to the Hamas attack on Israel."

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