UN Command says North, South Korea violated armistice last month

ANKARA

The US-led UN Command on Thursday said that North Korea and South Korea both violated an armistice while sending drones into each other's territory last month.

In a statement, the United Nations Command said the Korean People’s Army side committed a violation of the armistice when multiple North-side unmanned aerial systems (UAS) entered South Korean-controlled airspace.

"The SIT (Special Investigation Team) was able to determine that the ROK military’s attempts to neutralize the DPRK (the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, North Korea’s official name) aircraft in ROK (Republic of Korea) -controlled airspace was in compliance with the Armistice Rules of Engagement and consistent with the armistice,” said the statement published on its website.

“Finally, the SIT was able to determine that the employment of ROK military UAS across the Demilitarized Zone and into DPRK-controlled airspace constitutes a violation of the armistice,” it added.

The UN Command (UNC) is an enforcer of the armistice that ended the Korean War in 1953.

It also reaffirmed that adherence to the terms of armistice is essential for mitigating the risk of both accidental and deliberate incidents through the prevention of escalation, and for preserving a cessation of hostilities on the Korean Peninsula.

Last month, drones from North Korea crossed the border into the South prompting Seoul to scramble jets and fire warning shots in response.

Later, South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered the suspension of the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement with North Korea if it again violates the country's borders.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid