North Korea’s Sneaky Guard Post Restoration Exposed

Having withdrawn from the 9·19 South-North Military Agreement, North Korea is reestablishing Guard Posts (GP). Minister of National Defense Shin Won Sik raised concerns by stating, “It appears that North Korea only dismantled the observatories visible from above and left the rest of the interior untouched.”

There might be disputes about whether the verification process following the GP removal under the military agreement was executed correctly, as both South and North Korea conducted mutual verification concerning GP removal.

In an interview with Yonhap News on the 11th, Shin remarked, “The immediate deployment of troops and equipment to the GP indicates the presence of basic underground facilities where they can stay.” He added, “If everything had been destroyed, they should have started construction by now, but there is no indication of such activity.”

When asked if South Korean verification teams’ on-site verification of North Korean GPs in December 2018 was flawed, Minister Shin was cautious in his response, stating, “It is challenging to provide an immediate answer.” However, he consistently stressed, “Based on our current observations, it appears that North Korean GPs have not suffered significant damage.”

As per the military agreement, South and North Korea dismantled 10 out of the 11 operating GPs within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The remaining GP had its troops and equipment withdrawn but maintained its original structure. Subsequently, the two Koreas formed verification teams comprising 77 members and conducted on-site verification on December 12, 2018.

According to the Republic of Korea Policy Briefing, the South Korean verification team crossed the military demarcation line at 9 a.m. It confirmed the status of firearms, equipment, troop withdrawal, ground facility removal, and the burial and destruction of underground facilities in North Korean GPs until 12:10 p.m.

However, Minister Shin’s remarks imply that the burial and destruction of underground facilities were not adequately completed, raising questions about the accuracy of the verification process at that time.

Jeon Ha Gyu, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, stated during a regular briefing on the same day, “We would have conducted mutual verification at that time,” in response to inquiries about whether the content of the press release on the first anniversary of the military agreement, which claimed that “The South and North Korean military authorities faithfully implemented the mutual GP pilot withdrawal,” was incorrect. However, he noted, “Our judgment is based on the current developments in North Korea.”

Regarding whether Minister Shin’s statements were based on preliminary investigations or an understanding of the verification process, spokesperson Jeon explained, “His remarks were made based on the current assessment that there are likely various necessary facilities, and there are indications of efforts to reinforce them.”

In response to criticism that “Minister Shin should have confirmed through our verification team and then made his remarks,” he emphasized, “They would have performed their duties,” but underscored, “Our assessment is based on the present trends in the North Korean military.”

Regarding the assessment, “If the verification team conducted an inadequate verification at the time, it might constitute an illegal act,” spokesperson Jeon commented, “I believe they did their best given the conditions they faced at that time.”