Seoul, North Korea has recently dispatched soldiers and equipment to the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in an apparent move to restore guard posts destroyed following a 2018 inter-Korean military agreement, military officials said Monday.
The South Korean military has detected increased activities across the border areas after the North vowed Thursday to resume all military measures halted under the 2018 deal in response to Seoul’s partial suspension of the accord following the North’s launch of a military spy satellite, YONHAP news agency quoted officials as saying.
In 2018, the two Koreas each exploded 10 guard posts out of 11 in the DMZ as part of an inter-Korean agreement to reduce tensions and prevent accidental clashes, leaving one each that has historical or other value.
Military officials said heavily armed North Korean soldiers have been spotted restoring damaged guard posts in several locations since Friday, citing photos taken with cameras and thermal optical devices installed in the DMZ.
In response to the North’s latest move, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered to keep close tabs on the North’s activities to detect signs of provocations along the border.
Korean Presidential spokesman Lee Do-woon said the Korean president issued the instructions after Minister of Defense Shin Won-sik and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Kim Myung-soo briefed him on the security situation.
Source: Qatar News Agency