Seoul: Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung announced his intention to restore the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement and halt cross-border leafleting to enhance safety along the border.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee made this commitment in a Facebook post, where he also promised to stop the use of loudspeakers at the border. These pledges were part of his visit to the border regions in Gyeonggi Province and Gangwon Province earlier this week. Lee emphasized the need to establish a joint inter-Korean military committee and restore communication channels to effectively manage inter-Korean risks, including military tensions. He also expressed a desire to resume inter-Korean exchanges and rebuild mutual trust.
Lee proposed designating the border region as special economic zones for peace, with the possibility of expanding them into "opportunity development special zones." He highlighted the need for special compensation for the residents of the border areas, who have endured sacrifices since the division of the peninsula, by improving infrastructure and protecting their property rights.
In June of last year, under the administration of former President Yook Suk Yeol, South Korea suspended the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement due to North Korea's trash balloon campaigns and efforts to disrupt GPS signals near border islands.