North Korea said on Thursday it would deploy stronger armed forces and new weapons on its border with the South, a day after Seoul suspended part of a 2018 military agreement between the two Koreas in protest over Pyongyang’s spy satellite launch.
North Korea’s defense ministry said in a statement carried by the KCNA news agency that it would restore all military measures that had been halted under the agreement with South Korea, designed to ease tensions along their shared border.
“From now on, our military will not be bound by the September 19 North-South Military Agreement,” the statement said. “We will withdraw military measures, taken to prevent military tensions and conflicts in all areas including land, sea and air, and deploy more powerful armed forces and new types of military hardware in the region along the Military Demarcation Line.”
Tuesday’s satellite launch was North Korea’s third attempt this year after two failures and followed a rare visit by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to Russia, where President Vladimir Putin pledged to help Pyongyang build a satellite.
Malligyong-1, North Korea’s military spy satellite was launched into orbit on Tuesday, Nov. 21. 2023.AP
South Korean officials said the latest launch likely involved Russian technical assistance under a growing partnership that has seen Pyongyang supply Russia with millions of artillery shells.
Russia and North Korea have denied an arms deal but have promised deeper cooperation, including on satellites.
South Korea on Wednesday suspended part of an inter-Korean accord in response to Pyongyang’s launch and said it would immediately increase surveillance along its heavily fortified border with the North.
North Korea accused South Korea of reneging on the agreement, known as the Comprehensive Military Agreement (CMA), and said Seoul would be held “fully responsible in the event of an irreversible clash” between the two Koreas.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un witnessed the launch of a new type of carrier rocket “Chollima-1” carrying spy satellites. KCNA/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Visitors look at a map of the Imjingak Pavilion of the Demilitarized Zone in Paju, South Korea.AP
NORTHERN FIRE MISSILE
North Korea’s statement came hours after it fired a ballistic missile into the sea off its east coast late on Wednesday. The South Korean military said the launch appeared to have failed.
A US State Department spokesman said South Korea’s decision to suspend part of the CMA was a “prudent and controlled response,” citing North Korea’s “failure to comply with the agreement.”
“The suspension of the ROK will restore surveillance and reconnaissance activities along the ROK side of the Military Demarcation Line, enhancing the ROK’s ability to monitor DPRK threats,” the official said, referring to South Korea and North Korea respectively by their official name initials.
South Korea resumed the use of manned and unmanned surveillance aircraft in border areas on Wednesday, Yonhap news agency reported.
Kim Jong Un visited the Pyongyang General Control Center of the Korea National Aerospace Technology Directorate, a day after launching a reconnaissance satellite. KCNA VIA KNS/AFP via Getty Images A large screen is on display at North Korea’s Pyongyang General Control Center a day after the country launched a rocket carrying a “spy” satellite. KCNA VIA KNS/AFP via Getty Images
The suspended North-South pact was signed at the 2018 summit between Kim Jong Un and then South Korean President Moon Jae-in, one of the most concrete steps to come from months of stalled diplomacy heading into 2019.
Moon Chung-in, a professor at Yonsei University who served as a special adviser to President Moon during talks with Kim, said that even if North Korea did not comply with all elements of the agreement, the death of the CMA could increase the risk of a mutual confrontation. border.
“Unintentional fighting can escalate into a large-scale conflict, including a nuclear attack,” he said. “We have reason to try to reduce risk and tension and instead the South is going in the opposite direction.”
Critics say the pact weakens Seoul’s ability to monitor North Korea, and that Pyongyang has violated the agreement.
South Korean Defense Minister Shin Wonsik speaks during a committee at the National Assembly in Seoul, South Korea. on Thursday. 23 Nov 2023.AP
“The CMA is a good agreement in theory, because risk reduction and confidence-building measures benefit both sides by reducing the risk of tactical clashes and unintended escalation,” said Bruce Klingner, a former CIA analyst now with the US-based Heritage Foundation.
However, with further steps stalled, the move involves the cost of restricting allied surveillance and military training and does not reduce North Korea’s military threat, he said.
While it remains publicly non-committal, Washington has privately urged Seoul to maintain the CMA, Klingner said.
The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson docks in a harbor in the southeastern port city of Busan, South Korea, on November 22, 2023. SONG KYUNG-SEOK/POOL/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
North Korea said on Tuesday it put its first spy satellite into orbit, drawing international condemnation for violating a UN resolution barring the use of technology used for its ballistic missile program.
South Korea said the North Korean satellite was believed to have entered orbit, but it would take time to assess whether it was operating normally.
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
