Unification Minister Chung Dong-young speaks during a press conference at Government Complex Seoul in Jongno District, Wednesday. Yonhap

South Korea will actively seek to reinstate no-fly zones along its border with North Korea as part of a partial revival of the suspended 2018 inter-Korean military pact, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young said Wednesday, in a move aimed at preventingcivilian drone flightsinto the North.

The announcement came five days after Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, urged Seoul to take steps to prevent further incursions.

Speaking at a press conference, Chung said the government is reviewing steps to partially revive themilitary agreement from Sept. 19, 2018,which created buffer zones and flight restrictions aimed at reducing the risk of accidental clashes.

"In coordination with military authorities, the government will proactively review and pursue the restoration of the Sept. 19 inter-Korean military agreement, including the possible reestablishment of no-fly zones, in order to prevent accidental clashes and rebuild military trust," Chung said.

The military pact was signed in Pyongyang between former President Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong-un, but was fully suspended in 2024 as a result of heightened inter-Korean tensions.

Chung said the government will also seek to strengthen penalties for unauthorized drone flights in restricted airspace by revising the Aviation Safety Act, while working with local governments in border areas to ensure the safety of residents there.

"The government views this matter with the utmost seriousness, and formally expresses its regret to the North," the minister said.

Kim Yo-jong, in a statement issued last Friday, called Chung's earlier expression of regret over the alleged drone incursions "sensible" and urged Seoul to ensure that"such a foolish deed would never recur again."

Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, attends a wreath-laying ceremony at Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi, Vietnam, March 2, 2019. Reuters-Yonhap

Source: Korea Times News