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Seoul Seeks Partial Revival of 2018 Inter-Korean Pact While Safeguarding Defense Posture
Feb 19, 2026South Korea’s Defence Ministry said Thursday it will push to reinstate a no-fly zone under the suspended 2018 inter-Korean military agreement, stressing that any move would not compromise the country’s military readiness.
Speaking at a regular press briefing, ministry spokesperson Chung Binna said Seoul is in consultations with the United States over plans to partially restore the accord. The remarks followed comments by Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, who disclosed the government’s intention to move “preemptively” toward reviving key elements of the agreement.
The military pact, formally known as the Comprehensive Military Agreement (CMA), was signed in September 2018 under then-President Moon Jae-in as part of efforts to ease tensions with North Korea. The deal established buffer zones on land and sea and created no-fly zones near the heavily fortified border to reduce the risk of accidental clashes.
The agreement was suspended in 2024 by the administration of former President Yoon Suk-yeol, which cited North Korea’s repeated launches of trash-carrying balloons across the border and its deployment of a military reconnaissance satellite in violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions.
In a separate statement Thursday, Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said she “highly appreciates” South Korea’s pledge to prevent further drone incursions into the North. However, she added that Pyongyang would continue to strengthen its vigilance along the inter-Korean border.
Seoul’s latest move signals an attempt to strike a balance between reducing military tensions and maintaining a robust defense posture amid ongoing uncertainty on the Korean Peninsula.
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