After the start of the war in Israel, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said that he would seek to suspend the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement on the creation of a buffer zone along the land and sea borders in order to resume surveillance of North Korean troop movements. The Times of Israel.
“Hamas attacked Israel and the Republic of Korea is under much greater threat. In order to counter, we have to monitor [the movement of North Korean troops] with our surveillance equipment to get advance information on whether they are preparing provocations or not. If Israel had used planes and drones for constant monitoring, I think they could have been spared from such a strike." - he said, explaining the position of the South Korean authorities regarding the need to strengthen monitoring in the North.
Since the agreement was reached in September 2018, there have been no major clashes between the Koreas. But last November, South Korea accused the North of violating the de-escalation agreement. Then North Korea fired a missile near an inhabited South Korean island near their maritime border.
The military agreement between South Korea and North Korea was signed on September 19, 2018, during a meeting between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
The goal of the agreement is to reduce military tensions on the Korean Peninsula and create conditions for further dialogue and cooperation between the South and the North.
The agreement provides for the creation of a buffer zone 4 km wide along the land border between South Korea and North Korea. It is forbidden to place troops, weapons and military equipment in this zone. It was also envisaged to create a 50 km wide buffer zone along the maritime border between South Korea and North Korea. Military exercises and maneuvers are prohibited in this zone.
The agreement also provided for a reduction in the number of military observers on the border and the establishment of a communication line between the military headquarters of South Korea and North Korea.
In January 2023, South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol said that the country could end the 2018 de-escalation agreement with North Korea. This happened after five North Korean drones entered the airspace of South Korea.
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