South Korea Moves to Restore 2018 Inter‑Korean Military Pact

Overview

• President Lee Jae-myung announced plans to reinstate the September 19, 2018 agreement to prevent accidental clashes and rebuild political and military trust.
• The Ministry of Unification said restoration is necessary and confirmed consultations with relevant agencies on how to implement it.
• The 2018 pact halted hostile acts such as propaganda leaflets and created no‑exercise zones near the land border and in the Yellow and East Seas.
• Seoul had first curtailed parts of the deal after North Korea’s November 2023 reconnaissance satellite launch, then fully suspended it in June 2025 following balloon-borne waste sent into border areas.
• Lee has curtailed leaflet launches and border loudspeakers since taking office and directed preparations for phased implementation, while no new commitments from Pyongyang were reported.