South Korea to end some military activity on border to ease tensions with North Korea

South Korea’s new liberal president announced Friday his plans to end some military activities along its border with North Korea and restore a 2018 military agreement with its neighbor in an effort to reduce border tensions.

Speaking on the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule, President Lee Jae Myung said he would bring back the so-called September 19 Comprehensive Military Agreement, a de-escalation measure reached between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korea’s former liberal President Moon Jae-in.

“Everyone knows that the long-drawn-out hostility benefits people in neither of the two Koreas,” Lee said during his speech.

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The agreement ended some military activities at the border between the two countries, including creating buffer zones on land and sea and no-fly zones above the border to prevent fighting. It also ended military drills near the border and removed some guard posts along the Demilitarized Zone.

The deal was signed at an inter-Korean summit in 2018, but eventually fell apart as cross-border tensions ensued.

Lee called on the North to respond to Seoul’s efforts to rebuild trust and revive dialogue, although how Pyongyang will respond remains unclear.

In recent weeks, top North Korean officials have dismissed other moves by Lee to ease tension between the two countries.

The South’s new president pointed to his government’s efforts to lower tensions, including stopping the launch of balloons floated by activists with anti-North Korea leaflets and the halting of loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts across the border.

“In particular, to prevent accidental clashes between South and North Korea and to build military trust, we will take proactive, gradual steps to restore the September 19 Military Agreement,” Lee said.

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“I hope that North Korea will reciprocate our efforts to restore trust and revive dialogue,” he added.

In June of last year, former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol announced a complete suspension of the military pact after North Korea sent hundreds of rubbish-stuffed balloons across the border. The North had left the pact in November 2023.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.