South Korean President Yoon Suk Geol said on Wednesday he would consider suspending a 2018 military deal with Pyongyang if the North violates its airspace again, his office said amid tensions over the recent North Korean drone incursion.

According to his spokesman Kim Eun-hye, Yoon made the announcement after being briefed on measures to counter North Korean drones that flew over the South last week and called for confidence in the force for an effective response.

“During the meeting, he instructed the National Security Bureau to consider suspending the military agreement if North Korea makes another provocation by invading our territory,” Kim said at the briefing.

The 2018 agreement, signed on the sidelines of a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in, calls for an end to “all hostilities,” the creation of a no-fly zone around the border, and the removal of mines and garrisons within the heavily fortified demilitarized zone.

Abandoning the pact could mean the return of a garrison, live-fire exercises in a former no-fly zone, and cross-border propaganda, all of which sparked an outcry from Pyongyang before the deal was struck.

Inter-Korean relations have been tense for decades, but they have become even more tense since Yun came to power in May promising a tougher line on Pyongyang.

On the campaign trail last year, Yoon said that Pyongyang repeatedly violated the missile-launch agreement and warned that he might abandon it. Upon taking office, he said that the fate of the pact depended on the actions of the North.

Yoon criticized the military’s handling of the drone incident, partly accusing the previous administration of relying on the 2018 pact. He urged the military to be prepared for retaliation, even if it means “risk of escalation.”

According to Kim, Yoon directed the defense secretary to launch an integrated drone unit that performs multi-role missions, including surveillance, reconnaissance and electronic warfare, and to create a mass production system for small drones that are difficult to detect.

To boost the South’s ability to shoot down drones, the ministry announced last week that it would spend 560 billion won ($440 million) over the next five years on technologies such as airborne laser weapons and signal jamming.

Source: Reuters.