Hamas’ attack on Israel prompts South Korea to consider pausing military agreement with North Korea

By KIM TONG-HYUNG
Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s new defense minister says he would push to suspend a 2018 military agreement with North Korea on reducing tensions between the rivals, insisting that it hampers the South’s surveillance activities along their heavily armed border when the North’s nuclear threats are increasing. South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-shik cited the surprise attack on Israel by Hamas militants to stress the importance of strengthening monitoring on the North. The agreement, reached during a brief period of diplomacy between South Korea’s 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.