Page 26 - 2018 Defense White Paper

In January 2016, North Korea conducted its fourth nuclear test. While these measures were

ongoing, North Korea escalated the crisis by launching a long range missile on February 7. On
February 10, the ROK government announced the suspension of all operations at the Gaesong
Industrial Complex. North Korea responded by closing the entire complex, and Inter-Korean

relations further exacerbated with North Korea’s fifth nuclear test on September 9.
In the 2017 New Year’s address, North Korea professed the need to improve inter-Korean
relations and proposed to hold a “pan-Korean, grand meeting for reunification.” At the same

time, North Korea shifted the blame for the deteriorated inter-Korean relations onto the ROK
government, designated 2017 as the “year of perfecting combat preparedness,” and declared its
plan to pursue additional nuclear development and field delivery systems.

North Korea continued to focus on upgrading its nuclear and missile capabilities by pursuing
its sixth nuclear test and acquiring diverse missile delivery systems including Inter-Continental
Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) beginning with the Pukguksong-2 in February that year. On May
th
14, only four days after the inauguration of the 19 ROK president, Pyongyang increased
tension by test-launching a ballistic missile. The adverse relations continued as North Korea
argued that sanctions and dialogue could not go together in reaction to the ROK government’s

presentation of the “Berlin Initiative” on July 6 and the proposals for inter-Korean military and
Red Cross talks on July 17. North Korea, instead, conducted another nuclear test and more
missile launches.
The ROK government, however, continued its efforts to improve inter-Korean relations and

f inally, North Korea responded. In the 2018 New Year’s address, Pyongyang displayed its intent
to improve Inter-Korean relations through the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. North
Korea later sent special envoys and a delegation to participate in the event, paving the way

to enhance inter-Korean relations. On April 27, an inter-Korean summit took place for the
first time in 11 years since 2007, and the “Panmunjom Declaration,” aimed at improving inter-
Korean relations and establishing a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, was adopted and

laid the groundwork for inter-Korean cooperation to expand.
Since then, North Korea has maintaining both state and civilian contact with the ROK and
has been faithfully implementing the agreements. Following the fourth inter-Korean Summit

on May 26, the fifth summit took place from September 18 to 20 in Pyongyang, during which
the “Pyongyang Joint Declaration” and the Agreement on the Implementation of the Historic
Panmunjom Declaration in the Military Domain were adopted. On the one hand, Pyongyang

24 Chapter 1 Changes and Challenges in the Security Environment