New defense chief vows to suspend 2018 inter-Korean military agreement

New Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said he will work to suspend the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement as soon as possible, saying it hinders South Korea's surveillance capabilities against the North.

New Defense Minister Shin Won-sik leaves the room after a parliamentary audit by the National Assembly's defense committee at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan District, central Seoul, Tuesday. [YONHAP]

New Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said he will work to suspend the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement as soon as possible, saying it hinders South Korea's surveillance capabilities against the North.

During his first visit to the Ministry of National Defense press room on Tuesday, Shin said South Korea "faces a much more intense threat" than the one military group Hamas posed to Israel.

Shin noted that establishing a no-fly zone near the border set by the inter-Korean military agreement of Sept. 19, 2018, "greatly limits real-time monitoring of signs of North Korea's impending provocations in the frontline area."

He referred to a comprehensive military agreement signed on Sept. 19, 2018, as former President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un held their third summit in Pyongyang during a period of denuclearization negotiations with the United States.

This agreement was aimed at reducing inter-Korean border tensions, calling for the dismantling of guard posts in the demilitarized zone (DMZ), a no-fly zone over parts of the military demarcation line and a gradual disarmament of the Joint Security Area, or JSA.

Shin said that he would "push for the suspension of the Sept. 19 inter-Korean military agreement as soon as possible," noting that while scrapping the accord would require a legal process, a suspension would "only require Cabinet approval."

He stressed the need for South Korean reconnaissance and surveillance assets to continuously monitor North Korean military activities to determine "if there is a provocation."

This comes as global defense analysts raise alarm over Israel's shocking intelligence failure following the surprise attack by Hamas on Saturday, leaving hundreds dead.

Shin said Israel may have suffered fewer losses from the attack by Hamas militants if it had conducted round-the-clock surveillance with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

"My greatest duty is to protect the people," Shin said. "If there are any limitations in protecting the lives and property of the people, it is the responsibility of the defense minister to make efforts to improve upon this actively."

Shin, a People Power Party (PPP) lawmaker and a retired Army lieutenant general, was named Yoon's new defense minister last month. As a nominee, Shin said the inter-Korean military agreement should be "abolished."

However, during a parliamentary confirmation hearing on Sept. 27, Shin clarified to lawmakers that he couldn't go as far as "abolishing" the military deal but would try his best to "suspend its effectiveness."

This comes as the governing PPP urges the government to reexamine South Korea's defense posture against the North in light of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

The PPP said the government should review any restrictions on Seoul's defense posture against Pyongyang resulting from the Sept. 19 Inter-Korean military agreement signed during the preceding administration.

"Some people are pointing out that the Sept. 19 military agreement should be completely reexamined in the wake of the Hamas attack," Rep. Yun Jae-ok, the PPP floor leader, said in a party meeting at the National Assembly Tuesday.

"Our government must assume the worst-case scenario and prepare countermeasures," he said, considering the "diplomatic and security implications of this war."

Yun noted that military experts have recommended inspecting South Korea's air defense system and response readiness as Hamas' surprise attack neutralized Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system.

"If North Korea launches a guerrilla-style wave attack like Hamas, it will be difficult to defend not only the front line area but also the metropolitan area," he said, pointing out that Pyongyang's long-range artillery can fire up to 16,000 rounds per hour into Seoul.

He said the Sept. 19 military accord is "an agreement based on North Korea's good faith that it will not launch a pre-emptive attack," adding that "when North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has recently stipulated nuclear war in its constitution, relying on North Korea's good faith puts the entire Seoul metropolitan area at risk."

Pyongyang stipulated a policy of strengthening its nuclear force in its constitution in a pivotal Supreme People's Assembly meeting attended by leader Kim earlier this month, a year after enacting a nuclear law authorizing the preemptive use of nuclear arms.

South Korean defense officials say the North has violated the 2018 military agreement at least 18 times, including unilaterally blowing up the inter-Korean liaison office in the North Korean border city of Kaesong in 2020.

Park Dae-chul, the PPP's chief policymaker, said in the party meeting, "Considering North Korea's asymmetrical local warfare capabilities, it is time to look at how prepared we are and our overall defense posture against North Korea."

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]