Seoul - North Korea has strongly criticized South Korea for partially suspending a 2018 military tension-reduction agreement. The move by Seoul came in response to Pyongyang's launch of a military spy satellite. In an editorial published by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korea accused South Korea of effectively removing the "last remaining safety pin" and warned of dire consequences. The North has since rearmed its soldiers in the Demilitarized Zone's Joint Security Area with pistols and has restored guard posts and heavy weaponry along the inter-Korean border.
According to Yonhap News Agency, The KCNA also condemned South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol's government for engaging in joint military exercises with the United States and Japan, which Pyongyang views as invasion rehearsals. In light of these developments, Seoul's defense ministry has reiterated its stance on the necessity of suspending the agreement to better counter North Korean threats. Ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyu stated that South Korea would take appropriate measures to enhance military readiness and safeguard its citizens, considering North Korea's explicit rejection of the agreement and its restoration of military measures.