Military

South Korea Partially Suspends Inter-Korea Military Deal

NOV 22 2023·Updated NOV 24 2023

Story

Image credit: Pyeongyang Press Corps/Pool/Getty Images

The Facts

South Korea has suspended a clause of the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement, under which Seoul and Pyongyang had agreed to abide by no-fly zones close to the Demilitarized Zone. North Korea responded on Thursday saying it plans to move more troops and military equipment to the border.
Al Jazeera
The development — approved by Pres. Yoon Suk Yeol who had previously threatened to terminate the deal purportedly for weakening Seoul's defenses — came a day after North Korea launched its first homemade military reconnaissance satellite in orbit.
nytimes
The launch of "Malligyong-1," South Korea argues, has violated a UN Security Council resolution that bans Pyongyang from using ballistic missile technology.
CNN
The satellite, which has already sent images of US military bases in Guam, will reportedly begin its operation on Dec. 1. Further military reconnaissance satellites are expected to be launched by 2025.
Korea Herald
However, according to a US government expert, Malligyong-1 is a relatively small, low-resolution satellite, which is unlikely to provide detailed intelligence.
Al Jazeera
Meanwhile, hours after the inter-Korea deal was partially suspended, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff detected a suspected failed missile test from Pyongyang toward its eastern waters — its first weapons firing in more than two months.
PBS NewsHour

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The Spin

Anti-North Korea narrative

Malligyong-1's launch further exposes that Pyongyang has been able to consistently bypass international sanctions on its ballistic missile and nuclear weapons programs. For the sake of propaganda, North Korea has once again destabilized the security situation on the peninsula.

guardian

Pro-North Korea narrative

With Malligyong-1 in orbit following its successful launch, North Korea has bolstered its self-defense capabilities and war deterrence amid a security environment that has deteriorated due to its enemies' dangerous military actions in the Korean Peninsula.

KCNA