[2023 National Assembly Audit] Air Force Chief: "Surveillance and Reconnaissance Declined Due to September 19 Military Agreement" (Comprehensive)

National Defense Committee of the National Assembly, Air Force Headquarters Audit
Opposition Questions Impact of Suspending 9·19 Military Agreement
Air Force Chief: "North Korea Does Not Comply, Needs Supplementation"

Air Force Chief of Staff Jeong Sang-hwa expressed the view that there are aspects in which the influence of our military is diminished from a military perspective regarding the 'September 19 Inter-Korean Military Agreement,' which is currently under debate over whether the government will suspend its effectiveness. He particularly evaluated that the no-fly zones established under the military agreement impose limitations on our surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities.

On the 23rd, at the National Assembly National Defense Committee's Air Force Headquarters audit held at Gyeryongdae, Chungnam, Chief Jeong shared this view in response to a question from Democratic Party lawmaker Ki Dong-min about his opinion on the suspension of the effectiveness of the 'September 19 Military Agreement.' He explained, "If the September 19 Military Agreement had been well observed, it would have had useful aspects, but North Korea lost the trust of the South Korean people through 17 provocations," adding, "Because of this, the situation has become unreliable, and the military's position is that we need to complement it more perfectly militarily."

General Jeong Sang-hwa, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, is speaking at the Air Force Headquarters audit by the National Defense Committee of the National Assembly held at Gyeryongdae, Chungnam on the 23rd.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Byung-joo stated that the 'no-fly zones' set around the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) under the September 19 Military Agreement inflict greater damage not only on South Korea but also on North Korea. He asked, "Does the operation of the high-altitude unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, Global Hawk, operated by the Air Force, face restrictions due to the establishment of the no-fly zones?" In response, Chief Jeong mentioned the 'Global Hawk unmanned aircraft' and others, answering that there are some operational restrictions. The military authorities currently hold the position that the no-fly zones under the September 19 Agreement have increased military instability by limiting surveillance and precision strikes against the North.

The September 19 Military Agreement is an annex to the Pyongyang Joint Declaration adopted in September 2018 by then-President Moon Jae-in and North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un. It primarily prohibits military exercises and flights around the MDL to prevent accidental clashes between the two Koreas. Specifically, it bans military activities for fixed-wing aircraft within 20 to 40 km, rotary-wing aircraft including helicopters within 10 km, and unmanned aerial vehicles at altitudes of 10 to 15 km based on the MDL. However, our military reports that there have been at least 17 cases of North Korea violating the agreement, such as shelling toward the buffer zone.

Along with this issue, Chief Jeong pointed out that Chinese and Russian military aircraft have entered the Korean Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) more than 400 times over the past five years, stating, "While adhering to international law, we are strongly defending South Korean territory against KADIZ intrusions."

General Jeong Sang-hwa, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, is speaking at the National Assembly National Defense Committee's Air Force Headquarters audit held at Gyeryongdae, Chungnam, on the 23rd.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Questions were also raised about the joint air exercises conducted by South Korea, the United States, and Japan near the Korean Peninsula the previous day. In response to People Power Party lawmaker Lee Heon-seung's question about whether the three countries had conducted joint air exercises before, Chief Jeong said, "This is the first time," explaining, "Two B-52 (U.S. strategic bombers) and two fighter jets from each of South Korea, the U.S., and Japan participated." Regarding the regularization of the South Korea-U.S.-Japan joint air exercises aimed at strengthening deterrence against neighboring countries and enhancing joint operational systems, he expressed the view that "It is natural to do what benefits national interests."

Chief Jeong also emphasized the need to "establish a multi-layered defense system quickly" to counter the escalating nuclear and missile threats from North Korea, stating, "Once this system is operational, it will greatly aid South Korea's defense." He mentioned that the feasibility study for the Korean fighter jet KF-21 'Boramae,' currently under development, will be completed by the end of this month, and expressed hope that the first production batch of about 40 units planned by the Air Force will be reflected based on this. He added that if there are no issues with the KF-21's operational deployment, the aging F-4 and F-5 fighter jets are planned to be retired in 2025 and 2028, respectively.

Regarding the issue of Air Force pilot personnel outflow, he said, "There are differences depending on the aircraft type, but the cost to train one pilot ranges between 10 to 20 billion won," adding, "While budget has been secured to improve treatment, we are developing a complex approach including issues related to national spirit and the existence of military academies." On the possibility that Air Force operational forces might be absorbed into the 'Strategic Command' scheduled to be established next year, he said, "Discussions are ongoing on how to operate the Air Force forces and organize the command structure," but added, "I understand it will not cause problems in force operation."

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