South Korea is set to suspend a 2018 military agreement with North Korea following a series of balloon launches carrying trash over the border. The National Security Council (NSC) of South Korea announced on Monday that it would propose a plan to fully suspend the deal for cabinet approval in a meeting on Tuesday. This key military agreement had already been partially frozen last year.
The NSC stated that continuing to adhere to the agreement would cause “considerable problems in our military’s readiness posture.” By suspending the agreement, South Korea would be able to conduct training near the military border and take immediate, unspecified measures if necessary.
The 2018 agreement emerged from historic meetings between the two Koreas during a period of thawing relations under South Korean President Moon Jae-in. However, the agreement’s implementation has faced challenges. Seoul partially suspended it last year after North Korea launched a spy satellite into orbit, prompting Pyongyang to declare it would also no longer abide by the deal.
The full suspension comes amid escalating tensions marked by tit-for-tat balloon exchanges. Since last week, North Korea has sent hundreds of balloons filled with trash and animal feces, which they labeled as “gifts of sincerity,” over the border. Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and a key spokesperson for Pyongyang, mocked South Korea’s complaints about the balloons, asserting that North Koreans were exercising their freedom of expression.
On Sunday, North Korea announced it would cease sending the rubbish-filled balloons, claiming they had effectively countered South Korean propaganda efforts. Pyongyang stated that the trash balloon campaign was a response to balloons sent by South Korean activists loaded with anti-North Korean propaganda leaflets, cash, food, and USB drives containing South Korean dramas or popular music.
Following a National Security Council meeting on Sunday, a presidential official in Seoul indicated that South Korea might resume previous loudspeaker propaganda campaigns along the border targeting Kim Jong Un if the provocations continue.
The suspension of the military agreement reflects the deteriorating relations between the two Koreas and highlights the ongoing challenges in achieving lasting peace and stability on the peninsula.
