North Korea has begun restoring frontline guard posts(GP) inside the Demilitarized Zone(DMZ) that were destroyed under the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement.

Seoul's military authorities released four surveillance photos taken with cameras and thermal optical devices on Monday confirming Pyongyang's efforts to restore its eastern front GPs that started last Friday.

Under the September 2018 agreement, the two sides each blew up ten GPs in the DMZ in a bid to diffuse cross-border tensions and to prevent accidental clashes while leaving an eleventh vacant.

The photos showed North Korean soldiers setting up posts, transporting heavy firearms and operating nighttime guard duty, with authorities in Seoul noting that Pyongyang has also expanded coastal artillery.

The latest movement coincides with the North’s declaration that it would resume all military activities halted under the 2018 deal in response to the South's partial suspension of the accord following the regime's military reconnaissance satellite launch.

Under a readiness posture guaranteeing the safety of all military personnel, Seoul has pledged to keep an eye on Pyongyang's activities along the border.

[Photo : YONHAP News]