S. Korea to Suspend 2018 Military Pact with North

South Korea announced plans on Monday to suspend a key military agreement with North Korea, originally signed in 2018.

This decision follows North Korea's recent provocation involving the launch of hundreds of balloons that scattered trash across South Korean territory.

South Korea's National Security Council declared it would seek Cabinet approval to suspend the pact during a meeting on Tuesday.

The suspension aims to enable South Korea to conduct training near the military border and take immediate measures against further provocations from Pyongyang.

The council emphasized that the suspension would remain in effect until mutual trust between the two Koreas is restored. Specific details on the planned measures were not disclosed.

North Korea defended its actions, claiming the balloons filled with trash and excrement were a response to propaganda campaigns by defectors in the South.

These campaigns involve sending inflatables containing anti-Pyongyang leaflets, USB sticks with South Korean media content, food, medicine, and money into North Korea.

The 2018 military pact was a product of numerous summit meetings aimed at easing tensions between the two Koreas.

However, North Korea declared last year that it was no longer bound by the agreement and subsequently deployed troops and weapons near the border.

South Korea had already partially suspended the agreement following North Korea's launch of a spy satellite into orbit.

The National Security Council noted that South Korea's continued partial compliance with the pact had significantly hampered its ability to address security threats.