Seoul to Suspend Military Deal Amid North Korea’s Balloon Provocations

June 4, 2024

On June 3, Seoul said it was ending a military deal with North Korea that was supposed to lower tensions. This decision was made by the National Security Council (NSC) of South Korea after North Korea sent hundreds of trash-filled balloons across the border. In reaction to North Korea’s launch of a spy satellite in November of the previous year, Seoul had already partially suspended the agreement before this full suspension.

Escalation of Provocations

North Korea caused trouble by sending almost a thousand balloons into South Korea with trash, such as cigarette ends and human waste. This odd way of stirring up trouble was called “irrational” and “low-class” by Seoul. Pyongyang said it was in response to anti-regime propaganda spread by South Korean activists. Even though it was a low-tech stunt, it did not break any U.N. bans against North Korea. But it made Seoul think again about how much it was following the 2018 defense pact.

2018 Military Agreement and Its Suspension

The “September 19 Military Agreement” was signed in 2018 during a time when relations between North and South Korea were better. Its goal was to lower military tensions and keep things from getting worse by mistake along the highly fortified border between the two countries. The NSC in Seoul, however, said that the agreement was “virtually null and void” after North Korea said it would not respect it after the satellite launch. They said that continuing to follow the agreement made it harder for South Korea to effectively deal with new threats.

Implications of Suspending the Deal

By suspending the agreement, the South Korean military can train closer to the Military Demarcation Line and be better prepared to deal with North Korean threats. The choice will be made official at a future cabinet meeting. People in Seoul think that the suspension is part of a larger plan to not let the deal be broken, especially by countries like North Korea that use trash balloon campaigns to directly threaten its own people.

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