South Korea has decided to suspend a contentious military agreement with North Korea, enabling tougher responses to North Korean provocations. The move follows rising animosities between the two Koreas, sparked by North Korea’s recent launching of trash-carrying balloons across the border in response to South Korean civilian leafletting campaigns.
The South Korean Cabinet Council passed a proposal to suspend the 2018 inter-Korean agreement on reducing frontline military tensions, citing concerns about weakened military readiness amidst escalating North Korean provocations. The suspension of the deal, expected to be formalized by President Yoon Suk Yeol, allows South Korea to resume frontline military drills and consider other unspecified retaliatory measures. The 2018 agreement aimed at easing tensions has faced criticism in South Korea for potentially weakening its military readiness while North Korea’s nuclear capabilities remain intact.