South Korea has announced its intention to restore an pact suspending military activity along its border with North Korea and revive inter-Korean cooperation. The move is seen as an attempt by President Lee Jae-myung to ease soaring tensions over Pyongyang’s nuclear programme and deepening ties with Russia. Marking the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule, Lee said he will seek to restore the September 19 Military Agreement and rebuild trust with North Korea.
In a televised speech, Lee said, “To prevent accidental clashes between South and North Korea and to build military trust, we will take proactive, gradual steps to restore the [2018] September 19 Military Agreement.” Lee added that his government “will not pursue any form of unification by absorption and has no intention of engaging in hostile acts” against its northern neighbour.
The September 19 agreement was signed at an inter-Korean summit in 2018, where the leaders of both countries declared the start of a new era of peace. However, Seoul partially suspended the deal in late 2023 after it objected to North Korea launching a military spy satellite into space, with Pyongyang then effectively ripping up the deal as it deployed heavy weapons into the Demilitarized Zone between both countries and restored guard posts.
Tensions between South and North Korea have been escalating in recent years, with the two countries technically still at war after their 1950-53 war ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty. The relationship between the two Koreas has been strained, with periods of relative calm punctuated by outbreaks of violence and provocations.
Since winning a snap election in June, South Korea’s new left-leaning President Lee has taken a softer tone and sought rapprochement with North Korea. Soon after his inauguration, Lee halted the South blasting propaganda messages and K-pop songs across the border into the North. Earlier this month, South Korea began removing its loudspeakers from its side of the border, while Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff claimed it had evidence that Pyongyang was doing the same.
However, Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korea’s long-ruling leader Kim Jong Un, dampened any suggestion of warming ties between the Koreas. Kim, who oversees the propaganda operations of the Workers’ Party of Korea, accused Seoul of misleading the public and “building up the public opinion while embellishing their new policy” towards Pyongyang. “We have never removed loudspeakers installed on the border area and are not willing to remove them,” Kim said.
The situation on the Korean Peninsula remains complex and uncertain, with the international community watching closely for any developments that could impact regional stability. Lee’s efforts to restore the September 19 Military Agreement and rebuild trust with North Korea will likely face significant challenges, given the deep-seated mistrust and hostility between the two countries.
In conclusion, South Korea’s decision to restore the pact halting military activity on the North Korea border is a significant development that could potentially ease tensions between the two countries. However, the road ahead will be fraught with challenges, and it remains to be seen whether North Korea will respond positively to Seoul’s overtures.