What to expect if Seoul revives the moribund military pact with North Korea



Analysis What to expect if Seoul revives the moribund military pact with North Korea Pyongyang supported buffer zones but has signaled disinterest in agreements that can be easily reversed Michael Bosack January 28, 2026 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON South and North Korean military officials at the signing of the CMA in Pyongyang in Sept. 2018, and Lee Jae Myung at a meeting on Jan. 28, 2026 \| Images: Joint Inter-Korean Summit Press Corps, South Korean Presidential Office, edited by NK Pro Two years after its functional demise, the inter-Korean military pact that aimed to reduce border tensions could soon return to life, if only in part. In response to North Korea’s latest allegations of drone incursions, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung directed his administration this month to review the 2018 Comprehensive Military Agreement (CMA) and determine concrete steps for its reimplementation. The military-level pact was designed to reduce the risk of military clashes by creating buffer zones around the demilitarized zone (DMZ), while also providing opportunities for confidence building. From the beginning, DPRK Read More © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. LATEST ANALYSIS 01Trump doesn’t need a grand deal with Kim, but rather small coordinated actions 02North Korean trade with China rises 3.7% in August thanks to wig exports: data 03North Korea tensions expose Seoul’s uneasy relationship with UN Command 04North Korea’s politburo meeting hints at secret changes to senior officials 05The bureaucracy test: Signs to look for before a Trump-Kim summit 06China has reasons to like Trump’s North Korea outreach — and reasons to worry 07North Korea’s old alliance with Tanzania quietly finds new life 08North Korea has named its price for reopening UK’s embassy in Pyongyang 09Why Trump’s new counter-cybercrime model curiously leaves out North Korea 10The Kremlin veteran tasked with keeping Russia-North Korea’s alliance on track

Analysis

What to expect if Seoul revives the moribund military pact with North Korea

Pyongyang supported buffer zones but has signaled disinterest in agreements that can be easily reversed

Michael Bosack January 28, 2026

What to expect if Seoul revives the moribund military pact with North Korea

South and North Korean military officials at the signing of the CMA in Pyongyang in Sept. 2018, and Lee Jae Myung at a meeting on Jan. 28, 2026 | Images: Joint Inter-Korean Summit Press Corps, South Korean Presidential Office, edited by NK Pro

Two years after its functional demise, the inter-Korean military pact that aimed to reduce border tensions could soon return to life, if only in part.

In response to North Korea’s latest allegations of drone incursions, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung directed his administration this month to review the 2018 Comprehensive Military Agreement (CMA) and determine concrete steps for its reimplementation.

The military-level pact was designed to reduce the risk of military clashes by creating buffer zones around the demilitarized zone (DMZ), while also providing opportunities for confidence building.

From the beginning, DPRK

What to expect if Seoul revives the moribund military pact with North Korea

LATEST ANALYSIS

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Michael Bosack