South Korean President Lee Jae-myung chaired a cabinet meeting on Monday, instructing ministries to implement in stages the military agreement signed between South Korea and North Korea in 2018. The agreement aims to dismantle 10 guard posts within the demilitarized zone (DMZ) and disarm the Joint Security Area, halting military actions between both sides.
Lee emphasized a policy of peaceful engagement with North Korea, advocating for a process based on peace, negotiation, and mutual trust rather than a unilateral or aggressive unification strategy. South Korea is committed to gradually restoring the inter-Korean military agreement signed on September 19, 2018, focusing on denuclearization and urging both Koreas to move beyond confrontation towards a “peace era” on the Korean Peninsula.
Against the backdrop of changing external circumstances (international relations), Lee stressed the importance of improving inter-Korean relations to safeguard national interests and expand South Korea’s diplomatic horizons. He requested the government to implement existing South-North agreements in stages.
Lee Jae-myung pointed out that achieving conflict-free peace on the Korean Peninsula is the highest level of security guarantee, surpassing victories obtained through confrontation or war. He highlighted the need for courage to take actions to ease tensions while maintaining a solid defense foundation. Continuous small actions between South and North Korea will eventually build mutual trust, widen the path to peace, and lay the foundation for mutual development.
Simultaneously, Lee approved controversial bills rejected by the administration, including legislation on the organization of public broadcasting company boards and laws supporting farmers and implementing free high school education.
A spokesperson for the South Korean President’s Office, Kang Yoo-jin, stated in a press conference on August 18 that a discussion agenda in the cabinet meeting included “reviewing implementable measures in existing inter-Korean agreements,” some of which originated from the 2018 agreements.
Kang Yoo-jin added that President Lee Jae-myung remarked during the meeting that the exercises were not meant to escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula but to achieve peace on the peninsula.
The breakdown of inter-Korean agreements can be traced back to November 22, 2023, when North Korea first announced the launch of a military spy satellite into Earth’s orbit and planned to launch more, drawing strong condemnations from the United States and its allies. On the same day, then-South Korean Prime Minister Han Deok-soo confirmed the decision to suspend parts of the “Comprehensive Military Agreement” during a cabinet meeting and quickly obtained approval from then-President Yoon Suk-yeol. Han Deok-soo stated that South Korea would immediately resume reconnaissance of the North Korean border.
Lee Jae-myung is scheduled to meet with US President Trump in Washington on August 25 to discuss security alliance and trade cooperation between South Korea and the United States. The two sides are expected to discuss the issue of “alliance modernization.” The Trump administration has consistently urged South Korean authorities to increase defense spending to 3.8% of GDP and to flexibly coordinate and cooperate on the deployment and operation of US forces in South Korea to address the increasing assertive threats from China in the Indo-Pacific region.
(This article references reports from “The Korea Times” and “The Korea Herald”).