Defense Ministry refutes allegations that military tried to induce North Korean provocations
Published: 13 Jan. 2025, 16:59
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- LIM JEONG-WON
- [email protected]
![A civic group of North Korean defectors prepare to launch anti-North leaflets in Gangwon on June 8, 2024. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/01/13/f35f72f5-6d5d-487c-9049-2852c79ece94.jpg)
A civic group of North Korean defectors prepare to launch anti-North leaflets in Gangwon on June 8, 2024. [YONHAP]
The Ministry of National Defense refuted on Monday the Democratic Party’s (DP) claims that the South Korean military conducted activities to induce North Korean provocations, calling the allegations "absolutely untrue."
In a statement released on Monday, the Defense Ministry said the military "has maintained a firm military readiness posture and deterred North Korean provocations through consistent policies toward the North,” the Defense Ministry said. "Since the end of last year, some have continuously raised suspicions of operations by linking these normal military activities and measures to the martial law situation, which has caused security anxiety and discouraged our military's activities.”
The DP, which formed a special team on Dec. 27 to investigate allegations of insurrection regarding the Dec. 3 declaration of martial law, claims that the South Korean military produced and distributed anti-North Korea leaflets and infiltrated drones over Pyongyang to induce North Korean provocations.
The DP’s proposed special prosecution bill on insurrection also listed the operation of loudspeakers against North Korea, dispatching troops to overseas conflict zones, striking the point of origin of waste-laden balloons and inducing North Korean attacks at the Northern Limit Line (NLL) as investigation targets.
“Taking issue with our military's suspension of the Sept. 19 military agreement, our response to North Korea's trash-laden balloons and loudspeaker broadcasts against the North, and even agreeing with North Korea's claims regarding the infiltration of drones over Pyongyang and the spreading leaflets against the North are all baseless,” said the Defense Ministry.
The Sept. 19 Inter-Korean Military Agreement, signed in 2018, was a comprehensive deal between North and South Korea to reduce military tensions and build trust. It included measures such as creating buffer zones along land, sea and air borders, removing guard posts in the demilitarized zone, and joint efforts to recover war remains.
The agreement was suspended on June 4 last year.
“North Korea unilaterally declared a complete breach of the Sept. 19 agreement in late 2023 and has committed more than 4,000 violations to date, and has continued indiscriminate provocations such as scattering waste and garbage balloons since May 2024,” continued the Defense Ministry. "Our military's suspension of the Sept. 19 Agreement and resumption of loudspeaker broadcasts against the North are extremely standard measures to respond to these inhumane provocations by North Korea.
“Our military has responded patiently to North Korea's trash-laden balloons under the consistent principle of collecting the balloons after they fall and has prepared by warning of stern military measures in case the North seriously threatens the lives of our citizens,” the Defense Ministry said.
“Distorting our military activities with groundless false claims will damage the honor and morale of our soldiers and discourage military activities, which will cause a serious threat to national security,” warned the Defense Ministry. "We urge you to stop raising indiscriminate suspicions that undermine national security.
“The military has voluntarily cooperated and will actively participate in all processes, including the state investigation, with the awareness that the facts must be clearly revealed since the martial law,” the ministry said. "Our military will focus solely on the enemy and will devote itself to maintaining a firm readiness posture to deter North Korea.”
BY LIM JEONG-WON [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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