The South Korean government has approved the suspension of an agreement with North Korea on detente measures, paving the way for the resumption of all military activities along the heavily fortified border between the two countries.
All armed forces activities along the military demarcation line and in the northwestern islands, which were restricted by the 2018 military agreement, would resume, Vice Defense Minister Cho Chang Rae said in Seoul on Tuesday.
The cabinet and President Yoon Suk Yeol previously approved a motion to temporarily lift the agreement.
In September 2018, the two sides agreed on a series of measures as part of a temporary rapprochement aimed at preventing incidents along the heavily defended border.
Tensions have increased on the Korean Peninsula in recent months. South Korea recently warned North Korea of tough countermeasures after balloons containing waste were sent across the border.
The South Korean military also accused its neighbor of disrupting the GPS satellite navigation system in the border area.
Pyongyang described its balloons as a response to propaganda flyers sent across the border by South Korean organizations. On Sunday, the company said it planned to temporarily halt the balloon campaign.
The 2018 agreement provided for no-fly zones in the border area and a ban on naval maneuvers in a buffer zone in the Yellow Sea.
South Korea suspended parts of the agreement in November due to North Korea’s launch of a spy satellite. Pyongyang then announced that it would no longer honor any part of the agreement.
Cho did not provide details about planned military activities at the border. However, the suspension of the agreement means that South Korea can once again hold military exercises close to the border.
