Pyongyang said the breakdown of the military agreement with Seoul could lead to a "military conflict."
North Korea has warned that a "military confrontation" between North Korea and its southern neighbor seems inevitable after the breakdown of a military agreement aimed at preventing an escalation of hostilities between the two countries. Technically, the two countries are still at war.
Under the terms of the comprehensive military agreement signed in Pyongyang in September 2018, North and South Korea agreed to "completely cease all hostile acts against each other." This includes ending military Xi near the border, banning live-fire Xi in certain areas, and dismantling posts along the demilitarized zone.
Seoul suspended part of the inter-Korean agreement last month and resumed aerial surveillance. The move was part of Pyongyang's successful launch of a spy satellite, which South Korea said violated the terms of the agreement. In response, North Korea said in November that its military "will never be bound by the agreement" and vowed to reinstate all measures that had been suspended since 2018.
Pyongyang reiterated its warning on Sunday, declaring that it would face a "complete collapse" if it made moves that were deemed hostile.
"Physical clashes and war on the Korean Peninsula have become a matter of time, not of possibility," a military official said, according to the North Korean News Agency. The ** added that Seoul's "reckless and rash moves" could lead to an "extreme military confrontation."
According to Yonhap News Agency, Seoul*** responded that any launch by North Korea using ballistic missile technology is a "clear violation" of UN Security Council resolutions. It insisted that its spy satellite had been launched in a "legal" manner and that it did not violate international peace and security.
We strongly urge the DPRK to immediately cease its misdirected incitement and any further provocations against our legitimate actions and to quickly return to the path of denuclearization," *said.
On Monday, Pyongyang accused the United States of hypocrisy by allowing South Korea to launch reconnaissance satellites from U.S. territory despite North Korea condemning previous launches.
North Korea's National Aerospace Technology Administration issued a statement mocking "the rogue logic of the United States," warning that it would lead to "irreparable danger" to global peace and stability.
During the Korean War in 1953, Pyongyang and Seoul signed an armistice to end hostilities. However, in the absence of a formal peace treaty, the two countries are still technically at war.