Hamas surprise attack sparks South Korean rethink of border agreement with North

The Times of Israel reports: “South Korea’s defense minister said Tuesday he would push to suspend a 2018 inter-Korean military agreement in order to resume frontline surveillance on rival North Korea, as a devastating surprise attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists from the Gaza Strip raised concerns in South Korea about similar assaults by the North.

The agreement, reached during a brief period of diplomacy between South Korea’s liberal former president Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, created buffer zones along land and sea boundaries and no-fly zones above the border to prevent clashes.

Talking with reporters in Seoul, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-shik cited the attack by Hamas to stress the need to strengthen monitoring on the North. Shin was appointed by President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday.

Shin was particularly critical of the inter-Korean agreement’s no-fly zones, which he said prevents South Korea from fully utilizing its air surveillance assets at a time when North Korean nuclear threats are growing…”

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