Page 316 - 2020 Defence White Paper

was used by ROK athletes participating in joint training activities at the Masikryong
Ski Resort in North Korea in January 2018 and by a press corps visiting North Korea
to cover the decommissioning of a nuclear test site in Punggye-ri in May 2018. In
situations where it is necessary for a flight to be carried out via a temporary direct
route over the East Sea or West Sea, the ROK Armed Forces provides military
assurance for a safe flight through aerial surveillance and military readiness posture.

Operation of Inter-Korean The ROK Armed Forces operates military
Military Communication Lines communication lines inside the Joint Ad-
ministrative Areas of Transportation Co-
rridors East and West as a direct communication channel between the military
authorities of the ROK and North Korea in order to reduce military tensions and
provide military assurance for exchanges and cooperation. Following the agreement
8) to install hotlines linking military situation rooms at the 8th inter-Korean military
As part of the steps
toward the normalization working-level talks in September 2002, a communication line was set up in
of military communication
lines, the ROK government Transportation Corridor West on September 24, 2002 and in Transportation Corridor
provided North Korea with
the necessary equipment East on December 5, 2003. However, as the military communication line in
and supplies, which was
exceptionally approved Transportation Corridor East was destroyed in a forest fire in November 2010, and
by the UN Security
Council (UNSC) Sanctions North Korea severed the communication line in Transportation Corridor West
Committee on North Korea subsequent to the closure of the Kaesong Industrial Complex in February 2016, the
on July 14, 2018 to restore
the military communication military communication lines between the ROK and North Korea remained cut off
lines between the two
Koreas for two years. In this situation, on January 9, 2018, the two sides held inter-Korean

9) senior-level talks and agreed to resume communications through the communication
The "agreement on the
prevention of accidental line in Transportation Corridor West and thus the Transportation Corridor West
naval clashes in the West
Sea, the cessation of communication line was temporarily reconnected the next day. Subsequently, on
propaganda activities at
the Military Demarcation June 14, 2018, during the 8th inter-Korean general officer-level talks, the two sides
Line, and the elimination
of propaganda tools" agreed to normalize the military communication lines in Transportation Corridors
was adopted on June 4,
2004 during the 2nd inter- East and West. And on 25 June, the two sides agreed on the detailed measures for the
Korean major general-
level talks. Provisions to restoration of military communication lines at an inter-Korean communication
prevent accidental naval
clashes as contained in this working-level contact. The military authorities of the two Koreas completed the
agreement include: restoration of the military communication lines in Transportation Corridors West
① utilizing the international
vessel communication and East on July 16, 2018 and August 15, 2018 , respectively, thereby normalizing all
8)
network,
② establishing and using functions. Since then, the military authorities on both sides have made regular calls
rules on marine signal
flags and lights, twice a day as well as unscheduled calls whenever necessary through the restored
③ exchanging information
on illegal third country military communication lines in Transportation Corridors East and West. In
fishing boats, and
9)
④ setting up a addition, for the restoration and implementation of the June 4 agreement aimed at
communication liaison
office in the West Sea. preventing accidental disputes in the West Sea, the two Koreas resumed regular

314 2020 Defense White Paper