Seoul: The defense ministry announced plans to reinstate a no-fly zone near the border with North Korea under the suspended 2018 inter-Korean military pact, emphasizing that the move will not compromise military readiness.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the ministry is in discussions with the United States to partially restore the military pact, following Unification Minister Chung Dong-young's disclosure of the plan aimed at preventing drone incursions into North Korea. Chung revealed that the government intends to proactively reinstate the 2018 military agreement, initially signed under former President Moon Jae-in, to avert unintended military conflicts along the heavily fortified border.
Ministry spokesperson Chung Binna stated during a regular briefing that consultations are ongoing with relevant ministries and the U.S. to designate a no-fly zone as part of the pact's partial restoration. Concerns have been raised about the potential weakening of surveillance capabilities against North Korea if the no-fly zone is reinstated solely on the South's side. However, the ministry plans to implement supplementary measures to maintain military readiness.
Critics argue that the reinstatement of the no-fly zone, which restricts aircraft and drone operations within specified distances from the Demilitarized Zone, could impede Seoul's monitoring operations. The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) did not provide details on whether other surveillance technologies could compensate for the potential gap.
Surveillance operations by South Korea's military resumed after the 2018 pact was halted in 2024 under former President Yoon Suk Yeol's administration, which cited North Korea's balloon campaigns as a reason for the suspension. North Korea nullified the agreement in 2023 following South Korea's partial suspension due to the North's military activities.
Since President Lee Jae Myung took office last year, he has committed to restoring the inter-Korean military pact to improve relations with Pyongyang. Unification Minister Chung's recent remarks followed his expression of regret over South Korean civilian drones entering North Korea, which prompted the North to demand preventive measures.
In a statement, Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, acknowledged South Korea's commitment to averting drone incursions and vowed to enhance vigilance along the border.