NK likely to restore guard posts at DMZ after ditching military agreement
A North Korean guard post is seen from Imjingak Park on the South Korean side of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, July 20. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
Seoul vows immediate retaliation against possible provocationsBy Lee Hyo-jinNorth Korea is likely to restore guard posts inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) as one of its initial moves to demonstrate the effective nullification of the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement, analysts said Thursday.
The reclusive regime may also carry out artillery exercises near the Northern Limit Line (NLL) and engage in other provocative actions along the border that were prohibited under the military pact, according to observers.
"Restoring guard posts at the DMZ is perhaps the easiest and fastest way for the North to show that it is beefing up its military presence near the border," said Cho Han-bum, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification.
Pyongyang's defense ministry announced on Thursday that it would reinstate "all military measures" that were suspended under the Comprehensive Military Agreement (CMA), also known as the Sept. 19 military agreement. The document was signed in 2018 when the two Koreas reached a consensus over reducing military tensions near the border.
"We will immediately restore all military measures that have been halted according to the north-south military agreement," it said in a statement carried by the North's official mouthpiece, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
"We will withdraw the military steps, taken to prevent military tension and conflict in all spheres including ground, sea and air, and deploy more powerful armed forces and new-types of military hardware in the region along the Military Demarcation Line," it added.
N. Korean leader lauds military spy satellite as 'space guard' 2023-11-24 08:55 | North Korea Pyongyang scraps military pact with Seoul, threatens to deploy new weapons 2023-11-23 16:36 | North KoreaThe announcement came just a day after South Korea's decision to partially suspend the CMA and resume front-line aerial surveillance, in response to the North's launch of a military spy satellite on Tuesday night.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, second from right, visits the Pyongyang General Control Center of the North's National Aerospace Technology Administration, in this photo provided by North Korea's state media, the Korean Central News Agency, Thursday. Yonhap
As per the Sept. 19 military agreement, both Koreas dismantled 11 front-line guard posts from their respective sides in December 2018.
Cho noted that the North's annual wintertime military exercises, which are expected to kick off in December and continue through early spring, will be more extensive than previous ones and could involve tactical nuclear strike drills.
"They will also launch additional spy satellites in the coming months to fully establish a space-based surveillance system. At least five satellites in operation are required to observe the Korean Peninsula around the clock," the researcher said.
Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University, thinks that the North will soon conduct artillery exercises near the NLL in the West Sea, the maritime border separating the two Koreas, to draw international attention to the military pact, which has been effectively abolished.
"It may also utilize its surveillance drones near the border in response to South Korea's resumption of reconnaissance activities," he said.
When asked about how Seoul would respond to such provocations, Park replied, "Now that North Korea has officially announced that it will disregard the CMA, our military will feel less constrained by the agreement. We may witness some tit-for-tat actions."
South Korea's Defense Minister Shin Won-sik warned of retaliatory measures against the North's potential military provocations.
"If North Korea engages in provocative actions using the suspension (of the military agreement) as an excuse, we will immediately take overwhelming retaliatory measures," Shin said during a National Assembly session, Thursday.
-
Number Representations in Computer Hardware'The Twilight Zone' flawlessly translates the spirit of the originalTrump plans to visit Korea, China, Japan, in November时间紧任务重 要反复查全力干Unionized hospital workers pull out from strikeThe internet is obsessed with 2 cars locked in a parallel parking standMicrosoft investigates Xbox One bug revealing gamers' real names本月起,普通化妆品消费税取消,高档化妆品税率减半Haider all set for Paralympics Ceremony8 new Boy Scout Jamboree activities added after Trump's historic speech last night
下一篇:Michael Cohen fights Donald Trump at the Supreme Court.
- ·We Bought the Cheapest DDR5 RAM Modules We Could Find, Are They Any Good?
- ·马路干净整洁 市民素质提升
- ·Alexa is already multilingual but Amazon wants to make her more fluent, report says
- ·时间紧任务重 要反复查全力干
- ·Yes, big spiders are spreading in the U.S. No, they're not flying.
- ·Trump Administration to reverse transgender bathroom protections.
- ·Why does the Duolingo owl scare me more than my high school Spanish teacher ever did?
- ·Gwangju fears becoming next Daegu
- ·阳江村K开麦,阳西3人晋级!
- ·Rimac's new supercar goes from 0
- ·People on Twitter are sharing the grievances they have with their names
- ·Please, someone, remake 'Hocus Pocus' with the 'Hidden Figures' ladies
- ·Best smart home deals this week at Amazon
- ·Conservative media covered Mike Flynn’s resignation from every angle today.
- ·S. Korean, Qatari foreign ministers discuss coronavirus response business cooperation
- ·Seoul on high alert as virus cases exceed 60 for 2nd day
- ·Washington Mystics vs. Chicago Sky 2024 livestream: Watch live WNBA
- ·Seal pup found on farm is a long, long way from home
- ·Rimac's new supercar goes from 0
- ·游人素质提高 文明出游成风尚
- ·多措并举优治理 绘就幸福新图景
- ·国庆期间“好事连连”部分市民称“吃不消”
- ·Lyft follows Uber further into healthcare market with rides for patients
- ·腊味飘香年味浓,黄圃新春开门红!
- ·Why Kamala Harris triggers Donald Trump so intensely.
- ·Madame Tussauds reinstates Beyoncé wax figure after lighting adjustments
- ·Best tablet deals as of August 27
- ·Business witches of Instagram: How sorcery found a commercial home on social media
- ·Dustin shows masterly focus at Augusta
- ·White House reportedly warned Flynn vulnerable to Russian blackmail after sanctions call.
- ·US Open 2024 livestream: How to watch US Open tennis for free
- ·US commander reaffirms smooth handover of wartime role
- ·Madame Tussauds reinstates Beyoncé wax figure after lighting adjustments
- ·解放思想 投身司法改革大潮
- ·Microwave technique recovers 87% of batteries' lithium in 15 minutes
- ·Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin dies suddenly in New York.