Litte Kim is at it again. South Korea is not flinching.
South Korea has decided to fully suspend a 2018 military agreement with North Korea aimed at reducing tensions, following a recent provocation involving hundreds of balloons filled with trash sent across the border by Pyongyang. This decision by Seoul’s National Security Council (NSC) escalates the response to what had previously been a partial suspension initiated last year. The earlier suspension was in protest of North Korea’s launch of a spy satellite.
🇰🇷 🇰🇵 South Korea announced today that it would suspend a rapprochement deal with North Korea to punish it over launches of trash-carrying balloons into South Korean territory, even after Pyongyang said it would halt its balloon campaign. pic.twitter.com/5iYtGi8QmF
— euronews (@euronews) June 3, 2024
In a series of provocations that Seoul has criticized as “irrational” and “low-class,” North Korea dispatched nearly a thousand balloons over the last week. These balloons, carrying waste such as cigarette butts and possibly manure, were described by Pyongyang as a countermeasure to anti-regime propaganda disseminated by South Korean activists. Despite their nuisance, these actions do not breach U.N. sanctions, which have been primarily aimed at curbing North Korea’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs.
The 2018 agreement, forged during a brief thaw in inter-Korean relations, was designed to decrease military tensions and prevent accidental escalations along the heavily fortified border between the two countries, which are still technically at war. However, following North Korea’s announcement that it would no longer adhere to the terms of the agreement after Seoul’s partial suspension, the South Korean NSC now considers the agreement “virtually null and void.” The continued observance of the agreement, they argue, is hindering South Korea’s military readiness and ability to effectively respond to such provocations.
South Korea plans to suspend a military agreement signed in 2018 with North Korea until mutual trust is restored between the two states pic.twitter.com/a4sQ4a8XuD
— TRT World Now (@TRTWorldNow) June 3, 2024
Seoul’s latest move, pending cabinet approval, will permit military training near the Military Demarcation Line and is expected to enhance the South’s capacity to respond promptly to further provocations from the North. This decision underscores deteriorating diplomatic relations and escalating military testing by North Korea, while South Korea seeks to fortify its alliance with the United States.
Analysts, such as Hong Min from the Korea Institute for National Unification, warn that completely abandoning the 2018 agreement might provoke further tensions, especially given the difficulty in physically stopping the balloons from entering South Korean airspace. Despite these concerns, the decision reflects Seoul’s determination not to tolerate violations of international norms and the terms of the ongoing truce, even those as seemingly trivial as trash-filled balloons.
South Korea decided Monday to suspend the Sept 19 military agreement with the #DPRK, according to the presidential office. The agreement was signed by defense chiefs of the two Koreas during the 2018 inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang to stop all hostile acts across the border,… pic.twitter.com/gbfvhA8WH1
— China Daily (@ChinaDaily) June 3, 2024
In response to the balloon incidents, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff noted that the balloons, though not containing hazardous materials, had landed across several northern provinces, including areas close to Seoul, affecting nearly half of the country’s population. The situation has led to discussions in Seoul about possibly reviving loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts along the border—a tactic that has historically angered Pyongyang and could lead to increased tensions and potential border skirmishes.
This escalatory cycle highlights the fragile nature of inter-Korean diplomacy and the ongoing challenges in managing relations on the Korean Peninsula, where both conventional military threats and unconventional provocations continue to undermine peace and stability. At this point we all understand that North Korea is a basket case of a nation, starving its own people. They rely on China and Russia for support, so when they are told to jump, they will.
Major Points
- South Korea has decided to fully suspend a 2018 military agreement with North Korea, designed to reduce tensions, in response to provocations involving balloons filled with trash sent across the border by Pyongyang.
- The suspension escalates from a partial one last year, prompted by North Korea’s launch of a spy satellite. Recent North Korean actions include sending nearly a thousand balloons carrying waste, which Seoul has criticized as “irrational” and “low-class.”
- The 2018 agreement, meant to decrease military tensions and prevent accidental escalations, is now considered “virtually null and void” by Seoul’s National Security Council. This follows North Korea’s declaration of non-adherence to the agreement.
- With cabinet approval pending, South Korea plans to permit military training near the border, enhancing readiness to respond to further provocations. This move reflects deteriorating diplomatic relations and escalating military testing by North Korea.
- Analysts warn that fully abandoning the 2018 agreement could escalate tensions, particularly with the difficulty in physically stopping the balloons. Discussions in Seoul include possibly reviving loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts, which could increase tensions further.
Al Santana – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News
