Buffer zones shattered: Seoul kickstarts reconnaissance as Pyongyang escalates provocations

"North Korea, through its actions of shelling the armistice zone in the West Sea over the past three days, has proven that the armistice zone no longer stands," stated the spokesman for the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), Colonel Lee Sung-jun.

The JCS spokesman also confirmed that the South Korean military has restarted artillery fire and exercises near the maritime and land border.

The military agreement between North and South Korea, signed on September 19, 2018, called for the creation of "buffer zones" on land, at sea, and in the air. It also limited military actions in these zones, including military reconnaissance of border areas, military maneuvers, and the use of weapons.

"North Korea has violated this agreement more than 3,600 times," Lee asserted.

Following Pyongyang's artillery exercises, Yonhap news agency's portal X stated that "Inter-Korean buffer zones have been invalidated."

Yonhap news agency reports that, since 2019, Pyongyang has been conducting artillery and missile shelling of a maritime buffer zone, firing at South Korean posts, and infiltrating South Korean territory with small drones.

Tensions on the Korean peninsula escalated towards the end of last year when North Korea formally declared an immediate and total withdrawal from the military agreement in November. They committed to deploying the latest weapons along the South Korean border. Such action was a response to Seoul's partial suspension of the agreement after North Korea's launch of a spy satellite, a clear breach of UN Security Council resolutions.

Last Saturday, over 60 artillery shells were fired by North Korea towards the South Korean border; this was followed by over 200 shells on Friday.