Ruling Party and Government: "North Korea's Trash Balloons and GPS Jamming Are Low-Level and Petty... Urge Immediate Halt"

"Clear Violation of Armistice Agreement" Strong Condemnation
"Urgent Inspection of All New Recruit Training Conditions"

The government, the Presidential Office, and the People Power Party strongly condemned North Korea on the 2nd for recently releasing a large number of filth balloons toward South Korea and conducting GPS signal jamming attacks, urging an immediate halt. Regarding the recent incident where a trainee died due to harsh violations of regulations during military discipline training, they decided to urgently inspect all recruit training centers and barracks living conditions to prepare improvement measures and reform unreasonable practices.

Hwang Woo-yeo, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is speaking at the 17th High-level Party and Policy Council held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 2nd. From the left are Sung Tae-yoon, Chief of Policy Office of the Presidential Office, Han Duck-soo, Prime Minister, Hwang Woo-yeo, Chairman of the People Power Party, Choo Kyung-ho, Floor Leader, and Jung Jeom-sik, Chairman of the Policy Committee.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

At a high-level meeting held at the National Assembly that afternoon, the government, ruling party, and Presidential Office reached this consensus, People Power Party Chief Floor Spokesperson Jang Dong-hyuk briefed.

The government, ruling party, and Presidential Office stated, "We seriously recognize the fact that North Korea recently released a large number of filth balloons over the territory of the Republic of Korea and conducted GPS signal jamming attacks around the northwestern islands," adding, "We strongly condemn these low and petty acts, unimaginable for a normal country, which clearly violate the Armistice Agreement, and urge an immediate cessation."

They emphasized, "We will closely cooperate with related agencies such as the Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Ministry of Science and ICT, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and the police to prioritize the safety of our people and respond accordingly."

Since the failed military reconnaissance satellite launch on the 27th of last month, North Korea has continued complex provocations against the South, including releasing filth balloons. The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that about 720 filth balloons released by North Korea starting from 8 p.m. on the 1st were found by 1 p.m. that day in regions including Seoul, Gyeonggi, Chungcheong, and Gyeongbuk.

North Korea has continued GPS signal jamming attacks toward the south around the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the West Sea for five consecutive days since the 29th of last month, and on the 30th, conducted a show of force by launching 18 rounds of the short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) super-large multiple rocket launcher (KN-25) into the East Sea at once.

Also, Jang Dong-hyuk, Chief Floor Spokesperson of the People Power Party, announced that the government, ruling party, and Presidential Office decided to promote measures to prevent the recurrence of military safety accidents.

The improvement plan will focus on strengthening soldier management measures considering individual health, psychological state, and training level. Specifically, a "Standard Guide for Military Discipline Training Regulations" will be immediately distributed to the entire military. A "Recruit Barracks Culture Innovation Guidebook" aimed at improving unreasonable practices will also be produced and distributed to the entire military within this month, with plans to have officers familiarize themselves with it.

Furthermore, a one-night, two-day "Special Human Rights Education" will be conducted for recruit training instructors, along with individual human rights education at each recruit training center as soon as possible, and alternatives to develop the military emergency evacuation system will be prepared.

In the briefing, Chief Floor Spokesperson Jang explained, "We agreed to conduct a thorough investigation so that the bereaved families and the public have no doubt, and based on the investigation results, establish comprehensive measures to prevent recurrence." Regarding the trainee death accident during grenade throwing training, he said, "We will confirm the circumstances of the accident through on-site investigations and decide on the status of death in the line of duty based on the investigation results."