SEOUL: Troops on the South Korean side of the Joint Security Area (JSA) on the border with the North have been authorised to carry guns, the UN Command said Tuesday, after Pyongyang’s soldiers reportedly started carrying weapons there last month.

Soldiers from both countries face off at the JSA north of Seoul, which is overseen by the US-led United Nations Command.

North and South Korea agreed to disarm their troops on the JSA in line with a 2018 military pact, but the North’s troops have been reported to carry guns since November after the deal began to crumble.

Last month, Seoul partially suspended the five-year-old accord following Pyongyang’s launch of a spy satellite.

North Korea responded by scrapping the pact in full, pledging to deploy stronger armed forces and new weapons along the border.

Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2023

Opinion

Editorial

Kurram atrocity
Updated 22 Nov, 2024

Kurram atrocity

It would be a monumental mistake for the state to continue ignoring the violence in Kurram.
Persistent grip
22 Nov, 2024

Persistent grip

PAKISTAN has now registered 50 polio cases this year. We all saw it coming and yet there was nothing we could do to...
Green transport
22 Nov, 2024

Green transport

THE government has taken a commendable step by announcing a New Energy Vehicle policy aiming to ensure that by 2030,...
Military option
Updated 21 Nov, 2024

Military option

While restoring peace is essential, addressing Balochistan’s socioeconomic deprivation is equally important.
HIV/AIDS disaster
21 Nov, 2024

HIV/AIDS disaster

A TORTUROUS sense of déjà vu is attached to the latest health fiasco at Multan’s Nishtar Hospital. The largest...
Dubious pardon
21 Nov, 2024

Dubious pardon

IT is disturbing how a crime as grave as custodial death has culminated in an out-of-court ‘settlement’. The...