Seoul moves to revive inter-Korean military pact

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Tuesday that the government will proactively review and seek to restore the Sept. 19 inter-Korean military agreement, including the possible reestablishment of no-fly zones, to prevent accidental clashes and build military trust.

His remarks came five days after Kim Yo Jong, vice department director of the Workers’ Party of Korea and sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, demanded that Seoul present measures to prevent a recurrence of drone incursions into the North. Chung again expressed regret over drone flights sent by civilians into North Korea, saying four such incidents have occurred since the launch of the Lee Jae-myung administration.

Speaking at a news conference at the Government Complex Seoul, Chung said the government decided during a security ministers’ meeting at the start of the Lunar New Year holiday on Feb. 13 to announce its official position. Asked whether the Ministry of National Defense, a key party to the agreement, had been consulted, Chung said sufficient interagency coordination had taken place.

The Sept. 19 inter-Korean military agreement, which bans all hostile acts between the two Koreas, was signed after the 2018 inter-Korean summit. Under the accord, drone flights were prohibited within 15 kilometers of the Military Demarcation Line in the eastern sector and within 10 kilometers in the western sector. In November 2023, the Yoon Suk-yeol administration suspended the no-fly zone provisions in response to North Korea’s launch of a reconnaissance satellite, prompting Pyongyang to declare the agreement nullified in its entirety.

Chung said the government will also seek to strengthen penalties under the Aviation Safety Act for unauthorized drone flights and push to revise the Inter-Korean Relations Development Act to explicitly ban drone incursions into the North. The current maximum penalty of a fine of 5 million won would be raised to up to one year in prison or a fine of up to 10 million won.

He also disclosed that three civilians, including a graduate student in his 30s surnamed Oh who is under investigation for allegedly sending drones to North Korea, carried out four drone launches on Sept. 27, Nov. 16 and Nov. 22 last year and Jan. 4 this year. That total is two more than the cases North Korea has publicly cited for September and January. “The government takes this matter very seriously and expresses its official regret to the North,” Chung said.

Chung’s statement is widely seen as an effort to underscore the government’s willingness to pursue dialogue ahead of the ninth congress of the Workers’ Party of Korea, where Pyongyang is expected to outline its domestic and foreign policy direction for the next five years.

Separately, North Korea released rare images of Kim Ju Ae, the daughter of Kim Jong Un, interacting with residents. According to Rodong Sinmun, she attended a Feb. 16 ceremony marking the completion of 10,000 housing units in the fourth phase of the Hwasong district development in Pyongyang with her father, personally embracing and congratulating new residents. Earlier, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service told the National Assembly that Kim Ju Ae appears to have entered the stage of being designated as a successor.


Oh-Hyuk Kwon hyuk@donga.com