Page 29 - 2020 Defence White Paper
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artillery firing drill was conducted during his visit to Changlin Island located north
               of the Northern Limit Line (NLL).                                                       Chapter 1
                 Although inter-Korean relations were not mentioned in the results of the 5th
               Plenary Meeting of the 7th Central Committee announced on January 1, 2020,
               a letter from Chairman Kim related to COVID-19 was delivered to the ROK
               government in March in which a hint of willingness to improve inter-Korean
               relations was included.
                 On May 3, however, North Korea carried out a provocation by firing 14.5mm
               anti-aircraft machine gun rounds from a guard post in the Demilitarized Zone
               (DMZ) in Cheorwon-gun, Gangwon-do at a ROK guard post (GP).  In June, North
                                                                    26)
               Korea demolished the Inter-Korea Liaison Office after cutting all inter-Korean
               communication lines on the pretext that ROK civic groups scattered propaganda
               leaflets into North Korea. Following these actions, North Korea announced a
               military action plan involving military measures against the ROK, but the plan did
               not lead to actual implementation as the announcement was suspended.
                 In September, North Korea shot and killed a ROK citizen who crossed into North
               Korean waters in the West Sea and the ROK responded sternly by condemning
               the North’s atrocity and demanding punishment of those responsible and a joint
               investigation. In response, Chairman Kim extended his regrets and apologies in a
               message while expressing a willingness on improving inter-Korean relations during his
               speech at a military parade marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Party.



               Foreign Policy    On account of responding to the tough sanctions imposed
                                 by the international community, North Korea, under the
               diplomatic principle of "independence, peace, and goodwill", continues to make
               efforts to improve its surrounding environment by strengthening diplomatic ties with
                                                                                     26)
               socialist countries and through summit diplomacy with countries surrounding the   Since the signing of the
                                                                                     September 19th Military
               Korean Peninsula.                                                     Agreement, the agreement
                                                                                     was violated by North
                 Since official dialogue with the US were cut off in 2012 due to the abrogation of   Korea twice after the
                                                                                     coastal artillery firing drill on
               the US–DPRK Leap Day Deal , Pyongyang has focused on advancing its nuclear   Changlin Island (November
                                        27)
               capabilities despite the US government’s constant demand for denuclearization.   23, 2019) and the firing of
                                                                                     gun shots at a ROK GP
               In particular, North Korea in August 2017 unveiled the "Guam strike plan" and in   in the Central Front
                                                                                     (May 3, 2020).
               November, launched a Hwasong-15 ICBM-class ballistic missile as part of a program
               to develop long-range missiles capable of reaching the US mainland.   27)
                                                                                     On February 29, 2012,
                 However, in March 2018, Pyongyang, after expressing its willingness for   North Korea agreed to
                                                                                     suspend long-range missile
               "denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" and dialogue with the US, declared a   development and uranium
                                                                                     enrichment in exchange for
               "moratorium on nuclear and IBCM development" on April 20 and carried out an   assistance from the US.




                                                          Chapter 1.  Changes and Challenges in the Security Environment    27
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