SEOUL: Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have escalated as North Korea deployed troops to its southern border to reinstate guard posts that were dismantled under a 2018 agreement with South Korea.
The move follows North Korea’s recent launch of a spy satellite, which prompted Seoul to partially suspend the 2018 agreement aimed at easing border tensions.
Seoul’s military reported that armed personnel and equipment from Pyongyang have been sent to restore the guard posts, marking a significant development in the already strained relations between the two Koreas.
Yonhap news agency noted that North Korean soldiers were observed “rebuilding the guard posts from Friday,” with all 11 posts withdrawn under the five-year-old military accord expected to be reinstated.
A released photo from South Korea’s military depicts four North Korean soldiers reconstructing a wooden guard post in the Demilitarized Zone that separates the two nations. The accelerated weapons development by North Korea, including the recent satellite launch, has heightened concerns in Seoul.
In response to the satellite launch, South Korea took precautionary measures by deploying “surveillance and reconnaissance assets” to the border. The military described this action as an “essential measure” to defend against North Korea’s growing threats. Pyongyang, in turn, issued a statement vowing to “deploy more powerful armed forces and new-type military hardware in the region along the Military Demarcation Line” between the two Koreas.
The satellite, named “Malligyong-1,” represents North Korea’s third attempt to establish a military satellite in orbit, following unsuccessful endeavors in May and August. A successful satellite launch would enhance North Korea’s intelligence-gathering capabilities, particularly over South Korea, providing crucial data in potential military conflicts, according to experts.
This recent development underscores the fragility of the diplomatic and military agreements between North and South Korea and the challenges in maintaining stability on the Korean Peninsula.
