South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said Wednesday that he would consider suspending the 2018 inter-Korean military pact if the North violates its airspace again, his office said, amid tensions over a recent North Korean drone incursion, Reuters reported.

According to presidential spokesman Kim Eun-hye, Yoon made the remark after he was briefed on countermeasures against North Korean drones that penetrated South Korean territory last week and called for an overwhelming response capability beyond proportional levels.

During the meeting, he instructed the National Security Administration to consider suspending the military agreement if North Korea staged another provocation to invade our territory, Kim told the briefing.

The 2018 agreement, made 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 hostile actions," a no-fly zone around the border, and the removal of mines and guard posts in the heavily fortified demilitarized zone. The government has not said how many mines and posts have been removed, citing security concerns

Rejection of the pact could mean the return of guard posts, live-fire exercises in the former no-fly zone, and propaganda broadcasts across the border, all of which had provoked an angry reaction from Pyongyang before the pact.

Inter-Korean relations had been tense for decades, but became even more tense after Yoon took office in May, promising a tougher line toward Pyongyang.

During his campaign last year, Yun said Pyongyang had repeatedly violated the agreement with missile launches and warned that it could terminate it. After taking office, he said the fate of the pact depended on the North's actions.

Yoon criticized the military's handling of the drone incident, blaming the previous administration in part for its reliance on the 2018 pact.

He urged the military to be prepared to retaliate, even if it meant "risking escalation."

Yoon ordered the defense secretary to launch a comprehensive drone unit that performs multipurpose missions, including surveillance, reconnaissance and electronic warfare, and to set up a system to mass-produce small drones that are difficult to detect within a year, Kim noted.

South Korea's army has had two drone squadrons in the Ground Operations Command since 2018, but they were created mainly to prepare for future military operations.

The Defense Ministry said it plans to launch another unit focused on surveillance and reconnaissance functions, especially targeting small drones.

To strengthen its anti-drone capabilities, the ministry last week announced plans to spend 560 billion won ($440 million) over the next five years on technologies such as airborne laser weapons and signal jammers.