Ministry of National Defense: "Shifting Responsibility for Military Agreement Termination Is Audacious"

Jeon Ha-gyu, Ministry of National Defense Spokesperson: "We Will Retaliate to the End if Provoked"

The Ministry of National Defense stated that North Korea has effectively declared the termination of the September 19 Inter-Korean Military Agreement and shifted the responsibility to the South, warning sternly against "distorting the facts and displaying a brazen attitude."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Jeon Ha-gyu, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, said at a regular briefing on the 23rd, "The military will closely monitor North Korea's future actions and devise countermeasures to protect our citizens."

Regarding concerns that clashes between the North and South might occur around the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), spokesperson Jeon emphasized, "Deterrence is achieved through strength," adding, "Our military is fully prepared." He further stated, "If North Korea provokes, we will immediately, strongly, and relentlessly retaliate based on the combined defense posture and capabilities of the Republic of Korea and the United States."

Earlier, the North Korean Ministry of Defense declared in a statement early that day that it would no longer be bound by the September 19 Military Agreement, blaming the South for "deliberate and provocative acts by the 'Republic of Korea' elements," and claimed that the September 19 Inter-Korean Military Agreement had long since become obsolete and a mere empty shell, without mentioning their repeated violations of the agreement.

An official from the Ministry of Unification reiterated to reporters that the suspension of certain provisions of the military agreement is a minimum legitimate defensive measure against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats. The official described the North Korean Ministry of Defense's statement as a "de facto nullification declaration" of the September 19 Military Agreement. However, the official added, "Just because North Korea unilaterally declares termination does not mean it is unilaterally terminated."

Meanwhile, the military assessed North Korea's surprise ballistic missile launch around 11 p.m. the previous night near Sunan in Pyongannam-do as a "failed provocation." It is reported that the missile exploded after flying only a few kilometers immediately after being launched from the ground.

Lee Sung-jun, spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, responded to reporters' questions asking, "Do you consider it a failure immediately after launch?" by saying, "Yes," and added, "The ROK-US intelligence authorities are analyzing the range, type, and intent."

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