South Korea mulling imposing sanctions on N Korea in response to missile launches

South Korean military has been exploring means to respond to North Korea's recent series of missile launches and military provocations. One of the resorts that Seoul is mulling is scrapping the 2018 inter-Korean comprehensive military agreement that requires the two Koreas to the cessation of hostilities, as well as suspension of the inter-Korean border military exercises, according to recent reports. South Korea is considering scrapping the inter-Korean comprehensive military agreement and bolstering its defence capabilities, the Korean Times reported. "We should declare the scrapping of the military agreement if North Korea carries out a seventh nuclear weapon test," Seoul's Ruling People Power Party (PPP) interim leader Rep. Chung Jin-suk said on Friday. S Korea mulls sanctions as North deploys 12 fighter jets Rep. Chung Jin-suk's response came just a day after North deployed 12 fighter jets to conduct alleged airstrikes drills on the peninsula. "If we destroy the pact, our military's flight boundaries and firing exercise zones in the East and West seas will expand, bolstering our capabilities in surveilling North Korea and deterrence firepower," Chung was quoted as saying by Korean times. South Korean foreign minister, Park Jin, stressed that the government is also considering "various" other options including imposing sanctions against the North Korean regime in a retaliatory move against Pyongyang's missile launches to weaken its nuclear capabilities. "We will sternly respond to North's missile launches and will consider tightening sanctions against Pyongyang if needed," Park said, according to the paper. He continued, "As there are various areas (that we could look at), such as the maritime, cyberspace and financial sectors, we plan to review options to deal with them at an appropriate level." South Korea's foreign ministry iterated that it is planning to ban the illicit ship-to-ship transfers of goods from the country, in an attempt to dismantle Pyongyang's funding options for its nuclear weapons. The Presidential office of South Korea, in a statement, slammed North Korea's short-range ballistic missile launches that it asserted were in "clear violation" of multiple UN Security Council resolutions. In a more scathing response, South Korea's Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup reportedly stated at the National Assembly: "If the North does not comply with the agreement, it is inappropriate for us to keep it." He further added, that the ministry "will review the effectiveness of the agreement reflecting the level of North Korea's provocations."

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South Korea mulling imposing sanctions on N Korea in response to missile launches

Rep. Chung Jin-suk's response about destroying pact came just a day after North deployed 12 fighter jets to conduct alleged airstrikes drills on the peninsula.

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