After failing to react to drone incursions, South Korea’s president is under pressure to suspend 2018 bilateral agreement designed to ease military tensions. Since early 2022, North Korea has repeatedly violated the agreement. The risk is now of increased border clashes.
Seoul (AsiaNews) – Following recent North Korean drone incursions, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol today said that, if North Korea continues to violate South Korean territory, he would consider suspending a 2018 bilateral agreement that set up a maritime buffer zone between the two sides.
On 26 December, five of Pyongyang's unmanned aircraft penetrated to Seoul, evading South Korean defences.
According to a report for North Korea’s military leadership, 12 drones were involved in the operation, the Daily NK reported. Seven ostensibly returned immediately after crossing the demarcation line with the South. The information could not be independently verified.
Under pressure for the lack of response to North Korea’s incursions, South Korean President Yoon announced that his country would start large-scale production of hard-to-identify mini-drones and create a unit with counteroffensive capabilities.
The two Koreas are technically still at war since no peace treaty was signed at the end of the conflict they fought between 1950 to 1953.
North Korea is isolated internationally (except for China and to a lesser extent Russia), and has been subject to international sanctions since 2006 over its nuclear and missile programmes.
The 2018 agreement is the result of diplomatic efforts of then-South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Its aim was to reduce tensions between the two sides after then US President Donald Trump launched negotiations with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, which proved fruitless.
Last year, North Korea began to shell the maritime buffer zones and beyond. According to analysts, if South Korea pulls out of the agreement, the likelihood of more dangerous border incidents will increase.