The defense ministry said a complete termination of the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement would require consultation among related ministries.

Ministry spokesperson Jeon Ha-kyu offered the explanation on Tuesday when asked about Seoul's declaration the previous day that land and maritime drills will resume in the buffer zone set by the two Koreas in the military deal.

Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff had said the buffer zones stipulated in the agreement have been nullified with North Korea's recent artillery provocations.

This comes as clauses on no-fly zones, the evacuation of guard posts within the Demilitarized Zone, the removal of firearms from the Joint Security Area and an agreement on the buffer zone have practically been neutralized amid the North's repeated provocations.

While the inter-Korean agreement can be suspended in part or in whole by the top office, a complete withdrawal is not stipulated under the act on the development of inter-Korean relations.