North Korea announced plans to bolster its armed forces and deploy new weaponry along the border with the South in response to Seoul’s suspension of a 2018 military accord. The decision comes a day after the suspension, which was triggered by Pyongyang’s launch of a spy satellite. The KCNA news agency reported that North Korea’s defense ministry intends to reinstate all military measures previously halted under the deal, designed to ease tension along the shared border.
The statement from North Korea declared the rejection of the September 19 North-South Military Agreement, freeing the army from its constraints. The military vowed to withdraw preventive measures against tension and conflict across ground, sea, and air, while simultaneously deploying more potent armed forces and advanced military hardware along the Military Demarcation Line.
Tuesday’s satellite launch marked North Korea’s third attempt this year, following a rare visit by Kim Jong Un to Russia, where President Vladimir Putin pledged support for Pyongyang’s satellite endeavors. South Korean officials suggested Russian technical assistance in the launch, part of a growing partnership that involved Pyongyang supplying Russia with millions of artillery shells. Although both Russia and North Korea denied arms deals, they committed to enhanced cooperation, particularly in satellite technology.
In response to Pyongyang’s launch, South Korea suspended part of the inter-Korean deal, announcing increased surveillance along the heavily fortified border. North Korea accused South Korea of scrapping the Comprehensive Military Agreement (CMA), warning that Seoul would be held accountable for any irretrievable clash between the two Koreas.
North Korea’s statement coincided with the firing of a ballistic missile toward the sea off its east coast, reported by South Korea as a likely failure. The suspended North-South pact, signed in 2018 between Kim Jong Un and then-South Korean President Moon Jae-in, represented a tangible diplomatic measure amid months of stalled diplomacy that ultimately ceased by 2019.
