Some believe military accord with NK was hasty

By Lee Min-hyung, Joint Press Corps

SEOUL/PYONGYANG - Seoul has opened an opportunity for the exploitation of possible security loopholes by North Korea after signing a “hasty” inter-Korean military agreement that does not contain any details for Pyongyang's specific and verifiable timeline for denuclearization, experts said Thursday.

On Wednesday, the two Koreas reached the agreement outlining joint military disarmament near the border. The South Korean government said the decision will help speed up the denuclearization of the regime, calling the agreement a de facto end to the technical state of the 1950-53 Korean War.

But critics have raised concerns about the agreement, saying that the South should have taken a step-by-step approach in line with the ongoing moves toward the North's denuclearization.

“Seoul's decision to set up a 'no-fly zone' near the border village was a rash act,” said Lim Jae-chun, a professor at Korea University's North Korean studies. “Such a decision should have been made after the North showed a concrete and systemic step for its denuclearization.”

Under the joint military agreement, Seoul and Pyongyang decided to set up buffer zones on land, sea and air. Of note was that they agreed to establish a no-fly zone about 40 kilometers west of the military demarcation line (MDL) and 80 kilometers east of it.

The South Korean Defense Ministry said the move will help prevent any accidental military conflict in the air, thereby creating a mood for the two Koreas to develop their ongoing peace momentum.

“North Korea did not set up a specific timeline for its complete denuclearization in the agreement,” Lim said. “The South does not have to remain hasty in reaching any peace agreements with the North.”

Any national security-related agreements with the North should be made after careful consideration of the unpredictable nature of the regime, according to him.

But he also voiced optimism for the South to agree to extend the peace momentum on the Korean Peninsula by reaching a consensus to disarm troops in the Joint Security Area (JSA) in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

The JSA disarmament is a step in the right direction in that the agreement will decrease the ongoing inter-Korean military tension, according to him. This is because reducing military tension on land will pose less of a security threat to both sides, while at the same time allowing both sides to enhance trust.

The joint military agreement to remove 11 guard posts located less than one kilometer from the MDL, from both sides will also add to a peace mood on the peninsula, according to him.

Following the historic gathering between President Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong-un, the United States expressed optimism for the peace agreements signed by the two Koreas.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the latest inter-Korean summit the “reaffirmation” of the Washington-Pyongyang summit this past June.

“We welcome Kim's decision to complete the previously announced dismantlement of the Tongchang-ri site in the presence of the U.S. and international inspectors as a step toward the final fully verified denuclearization of North Korea,” Pompeo said in a statement.

U.S. President Donald Trump called the inter-Korean summit “tremendous progress” for complete denuclearization on the peninsula.

“Kim Jong-un is calm, so we'll see what happens,” Trump said. The White House did not comment on detailed responses following the summit and is expected to unveil its position after President Moon has a conversation with Trump sometime soon.

President Moon returned on Thursday afternoon by completing his three-day-long Pyongyang visit. He engaged in a series of hectic schedules with Kim Jong-un. Aside from the joint military agreement, Cheong Wa Dae has yet to release details on Moon's Pyongyang visit.

Yoon Young-chan, the South's presidential press secretary, said in a media briefing Thursday that Seoul will continue joining forces with Washington and Pyongyang for complete denuclearization on the peninsula.

“We are moving forward under the goal of the complete denuclearization,” he said.

But the ongoing peace momentum on the peninsula is subject to change anytime, so the South Korean government is placing top priority on extending the momentum by creating an environment for lasting peace, according to him.