A transition of the situation on the Korean Peninsula, involving not only North Korea-U.S. relations but also inter-Korean relations, came to a halt after the second North Korea-U.S. summit ended without an agreement in Hanoi on February 2019. Amidst this situation, North Korea exploded the inter-Korean joint liaison office in Kaesong, which was built according to the agreement reached between President Moon Jae-in and Chairman Kim Jong Un. The North has continued test-launching short-range, solid-fuel propellant ballistic missile and cruise missile, further escalating the military tensions of the Korean Peninsula.
Despite the difficulties, however, the Agreement on the Implementation of the Historic Panmunjom Declaration in the Military Domain (9·19 Military Agreement) reached on 19 September 2018 between the South and the North as an extension of the inter-Korean summit of September 2018 in Pyongyang is evaluated to have functioned as a stabilizer at least at a minimum level. Amid current challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of National Defense announced in 2021 that it will independently proceed with the remains recovery project in the DMZ.
Against this backdrop, this session sets out to evaluate the current status of implementing the 9·19 Military Agreement and find ways to further promote peace on the Korean Peninsula.