Military temporarily suspends frontline operations in the DMZ... concerns over a security gap in the southern zone
We look at the suspension of DMZ security operations and concerns over a defensive gap following the landmine explosion. Take a look at the military's response and the implications of gray-zone tactics.
It has been reported that our military has temporarily suspended frontline reconnaissance operations inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and begun a review following the landmine explosion on the 21st. As a result, regular security activities carried out in the DMZ outside the fence have stopped, raising concerns about a defense gap in the southern sector.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff explained that it is reexamining safety inspections and whether operations should be carried out. The military has normally performed security missions inside and outside the DMZ through frontline reconnaissance battalions, but this suspension has brought changes to the existing operational method.
Experts say that North Korea's laying of landmines and installation of fencing is closer to socalled gray zone tactics, which aim to constrain the other side's activities, rather than to provoke a fullscale clash. While North Korea continues its borderization work around the MDL, there is also analysis that the situation on the ground could drag on for a long time, as our military has limited means of response.