Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho says South Korea will have no choice but to reconsider the September 19 inter-Korean military agreement and take appropriate steps should North Korea engage in a serious provocation.

Kim made the remark on Thursday in an interview with Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency and Yonhap News TV as he referred to the military pact as a “security own-goal.”

He said the South needs to monitor in real-time the possibility of the North engaging in military provocations, including launching long-range artillery, but aerial reconnaissance assets cannot be put into use due to the September 19 accord.

Noting that the government believes that weapons from the North are being transported to Russia while saying he cannot go into details, the minister also said any arms trade between Pyongyang and Moscow is a provocation against South Korea.

Kim said South Korea has no choice but to pursue strong sanctions against Russia and the North together with its allies, including the U.S.

The minister reiterated the government’s stance on not providing lethal weapons to war-stricken Ukraine and added that the government has not considered slapping independent sanctions on Russia.

[Photo : YONHAP News]