North Korea Warning Message... Suspension of 9·19 Military Agreement in Case of Satellite Launch
The Joint Chiefs of Staff on the 20th issued a stern warning to North Korea to "immediately halt the planned (3rd) military reconnaissance satellite launch." The day before, Defense Minister Shin Won-sik appeared on a broadcast and said regarding North Korea's satellite launch movements, "(Preparations) are steadily progressing for a possible launch around a week from now."
Kang Ho-pil, Chief of Operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, conveyed the warning message to North Korea announced at the Ministry of National Defense on the same day, stating, "Despite repeated warnings from the ROK-US alliance and the international community, North Korea is attempting to forcibly proceed with the so-called military reconnaissance satellite launch," and warned, "The military reconnaissance satellite launch violates UN Security Council resolutions banning all missile launches by North Korea using ballistic missile technology."
If North Korea proceeds with the 3rd satellite launch, regardless of success, it plans to partially suspend the effectiveness of the September 19 military agreement between the South and North signed in 2018. Chief Kang warned, "If North Korea forcibly proceeds with the military reconnaissance satellite launch despite our warnings, our military will take necessary measures to ensure the lives and safety of our people."
Given that North Korea has conducted at least 17 violations of the agreement through armed provocations over the past five years, the military authorities judge that strengthening readiness is more important than 'compliance with the agreement' in the current situation. However, instead of completely nullifying the agreement, they are internally reviewing a plan to partially suspend only those elements of the agreement that restrict reconnaissance and surveillance postures and the military's countermeasures against North Korea's armed provocations.
Chief Kang pointed out, "Since the signing of the 1991 Basic Agreement between South and North Korea, numerous inter-Korean agreements have been continuously violated," and added, "North Korea has also rendered the September 19 military agreement, a military sector agreement for implementing the Panmunjom Declaration, ineffective."
Chief Kang highlighted the problem that the no-fly zone established under the September 19 military agreement limits the ROK military's surveillance and reconnaissance activities, stating, "North Korea's military reconnaissance satellite is intended to enhance its surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities against us," and added, "Enduring restrictions on our military's information surveillance activities in the contact area under the September 19 military agreement significantly undermines our military's readiness posture, resulting in failure to protect the lives and safety of our people."
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