Seoul: The defense ministry has firmly rejected claims that its recent suspension of an inter-Korean military pact and the resumption of anti-Pyongyang loudspeaker broadcasts were deliberate actions intended to provoke North Korea ahead of the martial law imposition expected in December.
According to Yonhap News Agency, these assertions have been circulating among opposition groups and various media outlets, suggesting that the military's actions were a calculated effort to incite North Korean provocations in relation to President Yoon Suk Yeol's brief martial law imposition on December 3. The ministry countered these claims, asserting that its consistent policy towards North Korea has been focused on deterring provocations while maintaining robust military readiness.
The ministry expressed concern over the linking of routine military measures with the martial law context, arguing that such connections raise unnecessary security concerns and undermine military activities. It pledged to cooperate closely with ongoing investigations into the martial law situation while dismissing accusations that artillery strikes were considered as a response to North Korea's past balloon launches.
Emphasizing their patient response, the ministry reiterated that it retrieved balloons that crossed the border without resorting to firing. It stressed that all actions were conducted through normal decision-making processes, responding directly to provocations from North Korea, which had first suspended the military tension reduction pact, subsequently damaging property by sending trash-filled balloons.
In June, the National Security Council decided to fully suspend the 2018 inter-Korean tension reduction pact until mutual trust is restored, following North Korea's extensive deployment of trash-carrying balloons. This suspension led to the resumption of anti-Pyongyang propaganda, marking the first use of loudspeaker broadcasts near the border since 2016.
The ministry also noted that North Korea has violated the tension reduction pact over 4,000 times since its unilateral suspension of the agreement in December 2023. Additionally, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) refuted allegations of sending leaflets to provoke military reactions when former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun was in office. Kim is currently facing indictment for his role in the failed martial law imposition.
Further accusations against the JCS include attempts to conceal evidence of drone flights over Pyongyang in October, allegations which the military has neither confirmed nor denied, citing operational security concerns.
The ministry concluded by urging an end to actions that indiscriminately raise allegations hindering national security, emphasizing its commitment to maintaining a strong readiness posture to deter North Korea.