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Korea Herald
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
Lee renews push to restore 2018 inter-Korean pact
President Lee Jae Myung on Monday urged a phased rollout of inter-Korean agreements forged in 2018 by the previous Moon Jae-in government, despite North Korea's chilly stance toward Seoul. "The (improved) North-South relationship is very crucial for safeguarding our national interest amid a changing external environment and broadening South Korea's diplomatic horizon," Lee said during a Cabinet meeting held Monday to start a four-day civil defense exercise alongside this year's Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise. "I hereby ask the government for a phased implementation of the existing pact between the North and the South," Lee said. Lee did not elaborate on what the "existing pact" was, but it was an apparent reference to a 2018 military pact between the two Koreas, according to the presidential office. The pact signed in 2018 was aimed at halting military activities through the dismantling of the Demilitarized Zone along the border and disarmament of the Joint Security Area. One of the agenda items discussed at the Cabinet meeting was to "sort out what could be implemented" in the existing inter-Korean agreements, adding that some of the agenda items stem from the 2018 agreement, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said in a briefing Monday. Kang added that during the national security council meeting Lee convened on Monday, he expressed his belief that the Ulchi exercise "is not meant to escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula" and instead to "achieve peace" on the Korean Peninsula. Lee also reiterated Monday that achieving peace on the Korean Peninsula without conflict is the highest level of security that can be achieved, adding that this would be more optimal than winning against an opponent through struggle or battle. Lee's Monday remarks echoed his National Liberation Day speech on Friday, where he pledged to "proactively and gradually restore" the 2018 agreement. He also pledged to revive channels for practical cooperation between the two Koreas. This came a year after Seoul unveiled "Unification Doctrine" in 2024 that outlined a unified, liberal democracy across the Korean Peninsula, a few months after former conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol nullified the 2018 deal with North Korea In the latest rebuke toward South Korea, Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said in a statement Thursday that South Korea's effort for detente is deemed "nothing but a pipedream," describing it as a "shabby, deceptive farce" that Pyongyang does not find enticing. Lee, however, stressed consistency in the South's peace efforts during Monday's Cabinet meeting. "What we need is courage to boldly take steps to ease tensions, on the foundation of the ironclad defense readiness posture," Lee said. "The two Koreas will eventually restore mutual trust if we continue to make small actions, like accumulating gravel particles, thereby widening the path to peace to lay a cornerstone for the two Koreas to grow together." Meanwhile, Lee approved contentious bills that had been vetoed by former President Yoon, such as a broadcast bill over a public broadcaster's boardroom organization, as well as bills to support farmers, enable free high school education, and others.
Korea Herald
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
S. Korea-US military exercise kicks off amid pursuit of inter-Korean thaw
Presidential office says Ulchi drill is defensive measure, not aggression South Korea and the United States began their annual large-scale military exercise Monday, with all eyes on whether North Korea will respond with warnings or provocations. The Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, which aims to strengthen combined defense readiness against potential threats, particularly from North Korea, will be carried out for 11 days and concludes on Aug. 28. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said this year's exercise would be held on a scale similar to last year's, with about 18,000 South Korean troops taking part. The level of US participation is also expected to be similar, though neither the JCS nor US Forces Korea disclosed an exact figure of the US troops participating. Throughout the 11 days, the troops will participate in both live and computer-simulated command post exercises and field training exercises (FTX). However, of the roughly 40 FTXs planned for this year, about half, or 20, have been postponed until next month. The JCS cited extreme heat, the need to ensure training safety and efforts to maintain a balanced combined defense posture throughout the year as reasons behind the postponement. However, observers believe the postponement of some exercises to be aligned with the Lee Jae Myung administration's gestures for an inter-Korean thaw. The decision was carried out after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's influential sister Kim Yo-jong criticized the exercises, saying that they have 'no interest' in reviving talks with Seoul, in a statement carried by Pyongyang's state media last month. Kim Yo-jong added in a separate statement released last week that the recent adjustment to the joint military drills "does not deserve praise and will prove futile." Hong Min, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said, 'Although a part of the South Korea-US joint drill has been postponed, the exercise's overall scale has been maintained, so there is nothing for North Korea to be particularly pleased about.' However, the North is likely to respond with a more 'low-key' provocation, such as artillery drills or criticisms rather than missile tests, considering the current geopolitical situation, Hong added. Pyongyang, which has typically answered the launch of the allies' joint military drills with denunciations or weapons tests, had remained silent as of Monday noon. At times, its reactions have come almost immediately after the exercises began; at others, they have been delayed. North Korea has long condemned the joint drills as rehearsals for an invasion amid growing speculations that Washington may reduce US Forces Korea numbers to enhance its operational flexibility. Alongside the joint military exercise, the government will also carry out the Ulchi civil defense drill from Tuesday to Thursday to strengthen national emergency preparedness. The Ulchi drill is a nationwide emergency training exercise, conducted once a year, involving hundreds of thousands of participants, including civil servants, first responders and ordinary citizens across the country. It aims to protect the lives and property of the people in the event of war, contingencies, or comparable national emergencies. This year, about 580,000 people from 4,000 institutions will participate. At 2 p.m. on Wednesday, civil defense training will also be conducted, including an air raid evacuation drill and exercises to secure passage for fire engines and ambulances. South Korea's presidential office stressed on Monday that the Ulchi drill is intended to protect the lives and safety of the people, and not to heighten tensions on the Korean Peninsula. This year's Ulchi drill will be objectively evaluated so it can be improved in next year's exercise, it said, reiterating that the fundamental purpose of this year's drill is to safeguard lives and achieve peace on the Korean Peninsula. mkjung@ Jung Min-kyung Subscribe + S. Korea-US military exercise kicks off amid pursuit of inter-Korean thaw From ashes of war to arsenal of world: South Korea's defense industry boom Lee to hold dinner meeting with foreign envoys in Seoul
