South Korea threatens to scrap a deal with North Korea if serious security issues arise, after Pyongyang said it planned to launch a satellite.
"Under the Inter-Korean Relations Development Act, any discussions between the two Koreas can be stopped partially or completely in case of serious reasons, including those related to national security," a senior Blue House official told reporters in London, England, where South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol is on a four-day visit.
The official said South Korea could act under the provision in the law. "It is unclear what kind of provocation North Korea will make. Based on the scale and form of the provocation, we will decide whether to act on the September 19 agreement," the official added, referring to the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement.
The 2018 inter-Korean military agreement was signed at the third summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and then-South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who sought reconciliation between the two Koreas. The agreement established a land and sea buffer zone where artillery and naval drills were suspended. There were no notable incidents between the two sides after the agreement was signed.
South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik also wanted to suspend the agreement in early October so that Seoul could increase its surveillance of Pyongyang.
Kang Ho-pil, director of operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea, speaks at a press conference in Seoul on November 20. Photo: AFP
The warning came after Japan said today that North Korea had announced it would launch a reconnaissance satellite between November 22 and December 11. This would be North Korea's third attempt this year, after two failed attempts to put a military reconnaissance satellite into orbit in May and August.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he had instructed ministries and agencies to gather information, coordinate with relevant countries to request the cancellation of the launch and prepare for unforeseen situations.
Experts say the successful launch of a reconnaissance satellite would improve North Korea's intelligence-gathering capabilities, especially information related to South Korea, and provide vital data in any military conflict.
Nhu Tam (According to Yonhap, Reuters )
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