South and North Korean guard posts face each other at the Demilitarized Zone, Nov. 28, 2023. Yonhap
South Korea is considering the deployment of special forces for security operations inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, in response to North Korea’s restoration of demolished guard posts along the border, sources said Friday.
The South’s military is reviewing the move in line with efforts to restore operations at its dismantled border guard posts, as the North is known to have effectively rebuilt the guard posts it had demolished under a 2018 inter-Korean military accord.
Last November, the South’s military detected the North rebuilding the guard posts, days after Pyongyang announced it would restore all measures halted under the 2018 agreement. As part of the deal, the two Koreas had demolished or disarmed 11 of their guard posts inside the DMZ.
In response to the North’s rebuilt guard posts, the military is considering mobilizing troops from a commando regiment to strengthen security in areas near its destroyed guard posts, according to the sources.
While South Korea is currently restoring its guard posts, rebuilding the concrete structures is expected to take a considerable amount of time.
A Joint Chiefs of Staff official said various measures will be considered to operate the guard posts but declined to comment further, citing risks to troop safety. (Yonhap)
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