Defense ministry restructures North Korea policy office to reflect peninsula's tensions

South Korea's Defense Ministry has restructured its North Korea policy office, reflecting the changing dynamics on the Korean Peninsula.

The logo of Korea's Ministry of National Defense [YONHAP]

South Korea's Defense Ministry has restructured its North Korea policy office to enhance its independent sanctions strategy while reducing tasks related to the now-suspended inter-Korean military agreement, reflecting the changing dynamics on the Korean Peninsula.

On Thursday, the ministry confirmed to the Korea JoongAng Daily that the existing North Korea Policy Division had been renamed and reorganized as the "North Korea Strategy Division," though the official English name has yet to be confirmed. This change marks a shift from administrative "policy" to military "strategy."

"This is to proactively and actively respond to North Korea's advanced nuclear and missile threats and various provocations," a ministry spokesperson said.

The newly formed North Korea Strategy Division will be responsible for formulating and coordinating the North Korean sanctions strategy, a task not previously within the remit of the North Korea Policy Division, according to local media reports. In contrast, the task of maintaining and adhering to military agreements between the two Koreas has been removed.

The restructuring follows the government's decision last month to fully suspend the Sept. 19 Inter-Korean Military Agreement in response to North Korea's recent provocations, including waste balloon launches and GPS jamming attacks.

Tasks related to inter-Korean military talks, long regarded by the current administration as ineffective, will also be reduced, according to the reports. This includes eliminating the establishment of negotiation strategies, the operation of talks, and support for delegation representatives for military talks, given how North Korea has cut off inter-Korean military communication lines.

The changes in the Defense Ministry's North Korea-related organization reflect the evolving relationship between the two nations.

Under the preceding Moon Jae-in administration, the ministry established in 2017 a director general-level role overseeing North Korea policies, which included inter-Korean military talks and building trust in the military field. The North Korea Policy Division was pivotal during this period, with Moon specifically encouraging the division's staff during his visit to the military in December 2018 for their role in drafting and concluding the Sept. 19 military agreement.

Under the current Yoon Suk Yeol administration, however, the post was renamed the director general of defense policy in 2022, focusing on strengthening responses to North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile capabilities and establishing a crisis management system.

BY SEO JI-EUN [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]