The presidential office said on Thursday that the South Korean government does not have the authority to revise the rules of engagement for the Joint Security Area(JSA) near the heavily-fortified inter-Korean border.
 
An official of the top office told reporters that the UN Command(UNC) made the rules of engagement applied to the JSA, thus the South Korean Defense Ministry does not have the authority to make changes to the rules at its disposal.
 
The top office’s announcement comes after some voiced criticism over South Korea’s military not firing back when bullets fired by fellow comrades at the fleeing North Korean soldier most likely crossed the border to the South.
 
Earlier on Wednesday, President Moon Jae-in said that the situation involving the South’s military not firing back is a matter that requires discussions on rules of engagement.
 
A senior official of the top office said that Moon made the remarks after being briefed on the JSA shooting during an emergency meeting of his senior secretaries and aides which he chaired that discussed the powerful earthquake that struck Pohang.
 
Moon reportedly said that while the UNC may assess that the military guards responded effectively to the North Korean soldier’s defection, the South Korean people’s opinions may differ.