Partial Suspension of Military Agreement Effectiveness Starting Today at 3 PM

Restoration of Surveillance and Reconnaissance Activities for Monitoring Signs of North Korean Provocations

On the 22nd, the Ministry of National Defense announced that it will restore surveillance and reconnaissance activities for signs of North Korean provocations around the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) following the partial suspension of the effectiveness of the September 19 Inter-Korean Military Agreement.

Heo Tae-geun, Director of Defense Policy at the Ministry of National Defense, is announcing the "Ministry of National Defense Measures Related to the Partial Suspension of the Effect of the September 19 Military Agreement" on the 22nd at the briefing room of the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. On the left is Kim Byung-dae, Director of Unification Policy at the Ministry of Unification. Photo by Joint Press Corps

At a press conference on the same day, Heo Tae-geun, Director of Defense Policy at the Ministry of National Defense, stated that the Standing Committee of the National Security Council (NSC) decided to suspend the effectiveness of the no-fly zone established under Article 1, Paragraph 3 of the September 19 Military Agreement. This decision by the NSC was approved at the Cabinet meeting presided over by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo at 8 a.m. that day. The government decided to suspend the no-fly zone's effectiveness starting from 3 p.m. after going through procedures such as notifying North Korea. The suspension period will last "until mutual trust between South and North Korea is restored."

Regarding North Korea’s launch of a military reconnaissance satellite the previous night, he criticized it as "a clear violation of the United Nations Security Council resolution banning all missile launches by North Korea using ballistic missile technology, and a serious provocation threatening our national security." Heo pointed out, "This behavior once again shows that North Korea has no intention of complying with inter-Korean agreements, as it has deliberately and repeatedly violated numerous agreements, including the September 19 Military Agreement, rendering them ineffective."

He added, "Especially under the no-fly zone established by the September 19 Military Agreement, which limits our military’s surveillance and reconnaissance of North Korean military provocations in the border area, North Korea is instead launching military reconnaissance satellites to enhance its surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities against us."

Heo explained that the partial suspension of the military agreement’s effectiveness is "an essential measure to protect the lives and safety of our citizens from North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats and various provocations, a corresponding response to North Korea’s provocations, and a minimum defensive measure."

He further stated, "The responsibility for this situation lies entirely with the North Korean regime, and if North Korea carries out additional provocations, our military will immediately, strongly, and relentlessly retaliate against any provocations based on the firm ROK-US combined defense posture."

When asked by reporters how the Ministry plans to notify North Korea of the partial suspension of the September 19 Military Agreement, a senior official from the Ministry of National Defense replied, "After presidential approval, we attempted to notify the North via the military communication lines in the East and West Sea areas, but the communication lines are not operational. Since North Korea is likely aware of the media reports, we will consider the explanation to the public through the media as a substitute for direct notification to North Korea."

South and North Korea have maintained three communication channels, including the Panmunjom channel and the East and West Sea military communication lines, but all communication networks have been cut off since North Korea suddenly stopped responding to calls on April 7.

The official warned, "If North Korea carries out additional provocations, depending on the nature of the provocations, there may be further measures regarding other provisions of the September 19 Military Agreement." Regarding concerns that the suspension might violate the Armistice Agreement, he clarified, "This does not directly pertain to the Armistice Agreement." He also added, "We have been communicating closely with the United States at the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) and have had multiple communications since then. When we explained our policy direction to the U.S., there was a consensus of appreciation and a commitment to continue communication and cooperation."

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