South Korea's Yoon warns of ending military pact if North violates airspace again: Report
Sign up now: Get insights on Asia's fast-moving developments
South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has called for building an "overwhelming response capability".
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
SEOUL - South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said on Wednesday that he would consider suspending a 2018 inter-Korea military pact if North Korea violates the South’s airspace again, Yonhap news agency reported, citing his press secretary.
Mr Yoon made the comment after being briefed on counter-measures to North Korean drones that crossed into the South last week.
He called for building an “overwhelming response capability that goes beyond proportional levels”, Yonhap said.
Inter-Korea relations have been testy for decades, but have grown even more tense since Mr Yoon took office last May, pledging a tougher line against Pyongyang.
He has criticised the military’s handling of the drone incident, in part blaming the previous administration’s reliance on the 2018 pact banning hostile activities in the border areas.
He has urged the military to stand ready to retaliate.
He ordered the defence minister to launch a comprehensive drone unit that performs multi-purpose missions, including surveillance, reconnaissance and electronic warfare, and to set up a system to mass-produce small drones that are difficult to detect within the year, Yonhap said, citing his press secretary, Ms Kim Eun-hye.
“He also called for accelerating the development to produce stealth drones this year and quickly establishing a drone killer system,” Ms Kim was reported as saying. REUTERS
