Page 29 - 2020 Defence White Paper

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