The NSC Inter-Korean Agreement’s ‘amendment agreement’ was annulled by applying domestic law to ‘unilaterally suspend’ it
South Korea's NSC annulled the 'amendment is by agreement' clause in the inter-Korean military agreement, treating it as subordinate to domestic law, and entered into a complete annulment. A Korean reconnaissance satellite will be launched from a U.S. Air Force base on the 30th.
Korea's National Security Council (NSC) announced in a statement on the 22nd that "this will include the restoration of reconnaissance and surveillance operations around the military demarcation line between the two countries," and destroyed the document itself by announcing a "non-consensual revision."
On this day, President Yoon Seok-yeol ratified the ‘partial suspension of the effect of the September 19 Agreement’ decided by the Cabinet of Ministers in the UK, and the NSC announced in a statement ‘temporary suspension of Article 1, Paragraph 3’.
In response to a question on the 21st, “How do you perceive North Korea and South Korea’s launches of projectiles?” the U.S. State Department responded, “North Korea’s pursuit of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile capabilities violates several UN Security Council resolutions,” and “South Korea’s missile tests do not.” “The Space Launch Vehicle (SLV) launched by North Korea incorporates the same or compatible technology as that used in ICBM missiles,” he told the Voice of America (VOA).
North Korea's State Administration of Aerospace Technology criticized South Korea's plan to launch a military reconnaissance satellite in a commentary on the Korean Central News Agency on the 21st, calling it "part of an extremely dangerous act of military provocation."
Reuters announced on the 20th that South Korea plans to launch a military reconnaissance satellite with U.S. technical support from the U.S. Air Force Base in San Francisco on the 30th.
Regarding the inter-Korean military agreement signed by the South and North Korean defense ministers following the 'Panmunjom Declaration' at the inter-Korean summit in April 2018, the government avoids the 'prohibition on destruction' in the 'Inter-Korean Relations Development Act' and appears to apply the 'partial suspension of effect' provision.
Article 6, Paragraph 1 of the Inter-Korean Military Agreement states that ‘the agreement may be amended and supplemented by agreement of both sides,’ so ‘amendment without agreement’ constitutes destruction.
In response to Article 3, which was ‘invalidated’ by the NSC, regarding the ‘prohibition of flying along the Military Demarcation Line’, “Fixed-wing aircraft must fly 40km from the Military Demarcation Line in the eastern area (section No. 0646 to No. 1292 of Military Demarcation Line markings) and the western area (from No. 0001). Section No. 0646) applies 20 km, and the area was specified as “10 km from the Military Demarcation Line for rotary wing aircraft, 15 km in the eastern area for UAVs, 10 km in the western area, and 25 km for balloons.”
Regarding this measure, which means the restoration of reconnaissance surveillance against North Korea, the NSC Secretariat said, "Additional measures to other provisions of the September 19 military agreement that are still in effect will be decided depending on North Korea's future actions." “We also make it clear that we are always open to dialogue,” he said.
The National Security Office responded to President Yoon's report from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the virtual NSC Standing Committee meeting by saying, "We will take response measures in accordance with legal procedures as discussed by the Standing Committee, thoroughly prepare for the possibility of additional provocations by North Korea, and maintain close ROK-U.S.-Japan cooperation and a solid ROK-U.S. combined defense posture." By ordering, it was defined as ‘the supremacy of the inter-Korean relations law over domestic law’ to ‘the inter-Korean agreement is downgraded to domestic law.’
President Yoon said at the NSC, “North Korea’s launch of a military reconnaissance satellite, regardless of whether it is successful or not, is aimed at strengthening surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities for the South and improving ICBM performance, and this is a measure to put North Korea’s nuclear missile threat into action.” As a measure, it was ordered to “suspend the effect of Article 1, Paragraph 3 of the September 19 Military Agreement,” and Prime Minister Han Deok-soo approved this at the Cabinet meeting.
The Korean NSC was attended on this day by National Security Office Director Cho Tae-yong, Foreign Minister Park Jin, and NSC Secretary General Kim Tae-hyo from the UK, and from Korea, Unification Minister Kim Young-ho, National Defense Minister Shin Won-sik, National Intelligence Service Director Kim Kyu-hyun, and Director of the Office for Government Policy Coordination Bang Ki-seon.
The White House NSC said in a statement by spokesman Adrian Watson at 3 a.m. immediately after the North Korean launch, “The North Korean Space Launch Vehicle (SLV) launch used technology directly related to the ICBM program,” and “President Biden and his security team are working with allies to analyze the situation.” there is. This launch violates multiple UN Security Council resolutions and risks destabilizing the region. “We will do whatever is necessary to defend the U.S. homeland and our allies in Japan and South Korea,” he said.