S. Korea suspends 'No Fly Zones' clause of 2018 inter-Korean military agreement

국방부 “군사분계선 일대 공중 감시•정찰 활동 복원“ In response, South Korea partly suspended the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement this afternoon, specifically the No Fly Zones that ban aerial reconnaissance over the Military Demarcation Line. Our North Korean affairs correspondent Kim Jung-sil has more. On Wednesday, the Ministry of National Defense announced that the military will resume reconnaissance and surveillance activities along the Military Demarcation Line as of 3 p.m. This means, the South Korean military can now fly aircraft over the MDL to detect and monitor signs of North Korean provocations, as it did in the past. The announcement came after the government decided to partially suspend the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement, also known as the 'September 19 Military Agreement' following Pyongyang's spy satellite launch on Tuesday night. Earlier in the day, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol led an emergency National Security Council meeting online during his state visit to the UK. Article 1, Clause 3 of the agreement states the extent of No Fly Zones above the Military Demarcation Line for all aircraft types. It also bans aerial reconnaissance activities within 25km of the MDL. Deputy Minister for National Defense Policy, Heo Tae-keun strongly condemned Pyongyang's late-night satellite launch. “North Korea has launched a military reconnaissance satellite in an attempt to enhance surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities against South Korea especially when our military has limited access to keep an eye on the North's provocations due to the designation of the No Fly Zones.“ Senior officials of relevant ministries said the suspension will remain in effect until “mutual trust is restored between the South and North.“ This is the first time that South Korea has officially declared the suspension of an inter-Korean agreement. According to the Ministry of Unification on Wednesday, a total of 258 agreements have been made, and documented, between the two Koreas since 1971. Yonhap News Agency reported that North Korea has unilaterally declared a “termination“ or “annulment“ of such agreements more than 6 times. Kim Jung-sil, Arirang News. #SouthKorea #NorthKorea #No_Fly_Zone #2018_military_agreement #대한민국 #북한 #군사분계선 #정찰_활동 #Arirang_News #아리랑뉴스 📣 Facebook : 📣 Twitter : 📣 Homepage : 2023-11-22, 18:00 (KST)