South Korea suspends a military deal with North Korea after tensions over trash balloons

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea said Tuesday it fully suspended a contentious military agreement with North Korea in order to resume front-line military activities, as tensions between the rivals are rising over the North’s recent launch of trash-carrying balloons.

North Korea didn’t immediately respond, but South Korea’s resumption of firing exercises or propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts will likely prompt North Korea to take similar or stronger steps along the rivals’ tense border.

In the past week, North Korea has used balloons to drop manure, cigarette butts, scraps of cloth and waste paper on South Korea. South Korea responded by promising "unbearable” retaliation. North Korea said Sunday that it would halt its balloon campaign.

South Korea’s Cabinet Council and President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday approved a proposal to suspend the 2018 inter-Korean agreement on lowering front-line military tensions.

Officials said the suspension took effect later Tuesday. Under a related South Korean law, the suspension of the deal requires a notification to North Korea. But defense officials said that since all communication channels between the Koreas remain cut, the announcement of the suspension would serve as a notification to North Korea.

Cho Chang-rae, South Korea’s deputy defense minister for policy, told reporters that South Korea will use all available measures to protect the public from North Korean provocations.

“The responsibility for this situation lies solely with North Korea. If North Korea launches additional provocations, our military, in conjunction with the solid the South Korea-U.S. defense posture, will punish North Korea swiftly, strongly and to the end,” Cho said.

The military agreement — reached during a short-lived era of reconciliation between the Koreas — required the two countries to cease all hostile acts at border areas, such as live firing drills, aerial drills and psychological warfare.

During the cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, South Korea’s No. 2 official, said the 2018 deal has weakened South Korean military readiness at a time when the North’s provocations pose real threats to the public. Han cited North Korea’s balloon campaign,tests of nuclear-capable weapons targeting South Korea, and alleged jamming of GPS navigation signals in the South.

South Korean officials said the suspension of the 2018 deal would allow it to stage frontline military drills but didn’t publicly elaborate on other steps. Observers say South Korea was considering restarting frontline propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts, a Cold War-style psychological campaign that experts say has stung in rigidly controlled North Korea, whose 26 million people are mostly not allowed access to foreign news.

The 2018 deal was already in limbo after the two Koreas took some steps in breach of it amid tensions over North Korea’s spy satellite launch last November. North Korea already said it won’t abide by the 2018 deal any longer.

An officer wearing protective gear collects the trash from a balloon presumably sent by North Korea, in Siheung, South Korea, Sunday, June 2, 2024. South Korea said Sunday it’ll take strong retaliatory steps against North Korea over its launch of trash-carrying balloons and other provocations on South Korea. (Hong Ki-won/Yonhap via AP)

North Korea's town Kaepoong behind a military guard post, bottom, is seen from the unification observatory in Paju, South Korea, Tuesday, June 4, 2024. South Korea’s government has approved the suspension of a contentious military agreement with North Korea, a step that would allow it to take tougher responses to North Korean provocations. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

FILE - A North Korean military guard post, top, and South Korean post, bottom, are seen from Paju, South Korea, near the border with North Korea, on May 31, 2024. South Korea’s government has approved the suspension of a contentious military agreement with North Korea, a step that would allow it to take tougher responses to North Korean provocations. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon, File)

North Korean along the military fences near a military guard post, top right, are seen from South Korea's Paju, South Korea, Tuesday, June 4, 2024. South Korea’s government has approved the suspension of a contentious military agreement with North Korea, a step that would allow it to take tougher responses to North Korean provocations. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Visitors use binoculars to see the North Korean side from the unification observatory in Paju, South Korea, Tuesday, June 4, 2024. South Korea’s government has approved the suspension of a contentious military agreement with North Korea, a step that would allow it to take tougher responses to North Korean provocations. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Visitors use binoculars to see the North Korean side from the unification observatory in Paju, South Korea, Tuesday, June 4, 2024. South Korea’s government has approved the suspension of a contentious military agreement with North Korea, a step that would allow it to take tougher responses to North Korean provocations. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Visitors use binoculars to see the North Korean side from the unification observatory in Paju, South Korea, Tuesday, June 4, 2024. South Korea’s government has approved the suspension of a contentious military agreement with North Korea, a step that would allow it to take tougher responses to North Korean provocations. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

South Korea's Prime Minster Han Duck-soo, center, speaks during a cabinet meeting at the government complex in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, June 4, 2024. South Korea’s government has approved the suspension of a contentious military agreement with North Korea, a step that would allow it to take tougher responses to North Korean provocations. (Choi Jae-gu/Yonhap via AP)

South Korea's Prime Minster Han Duck-soo, second left, speaks during a cabinet meeting at the government complex in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, June 4, 2024. South Korea’s government has approved the suspension of a contentious military agreement with North Korea, a step that would allow it to take tougher responses to North Korean provocations.(Choi Jae-gu/Yonhap via AP)

ATLANTA (AP) — The first general election debate of the 2024 season kicked off Thursday evening in Atlanta, with U.S. President Joe Biden and his Republican rival, Donald Trump, squaring off as the candidates attempt to lure currently undecided voters. Biden, the Democratic incumbent, has the opportunity to reassure voters that, at 81, he’s capable of guiding the U.S. through a range of challenges. Meanwhile, the 78-year-old Trump could use the moment to try to move past his felony conviction in New York and convince an audience of tens of millions that he’s temperamentally suited to return to the Oval Office. Thursday’s debate in Atlanta marks at least a couple of firsts — never before have two White House contenders faced off at such advanced ages, and never before has CNN hosted a general election presidential debate.

Currently:

— How the Biden-Trump debate could change the trajectory of the 2024 campaign

— How to watch the presidential debate, which begins at 9 p.m. EDT

— Here’s what’s at stake for Biden and Trump in this week’s presidential debate

— A look at the false claims candidates may present mid-debate

— Most Americans plan to watch the Biden-Trump debate, and many see high stakes, an AP-NORC poll finds

Here’s the latest:

Trump falsely claimed that then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi “turned down” his offer to send “10,000 soldiers or National Guard” to the Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Pelosi does not direct the National Guard. Further, as the Capitol came under attack, she and then-Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell called for military assistance, including from the National Guard.

The Capitol Police Board makes the decision on whether to call National Guard troops to the Capitol. It is made up of the House Sergeant at Arms, the Senate Sergeant at Arms and the Architect of the Capitol. The board decided not to call the guard ahead of the insurrection but did eventually request assistance after the rioting had already begun, and the troops arrived several hours later.

There is no evidence that either Pelosi or McConnell directed the security officials not to call the guard beforehand.

Almost 45 minutes into the debate, President Joe Biden finally referenced former President Donald Trump’s recent felony conviction in New York.

During a discussion about the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, Biden said: “The only person on this stage that’s a convicted felon is the man I’m looking at right now,” referring to Trump.

Trump then sought to pivot from his own legal troubles by referring to Biden’s son, Hunter, as a “convicted felon.”

He was referencing the younger Biden’s felony conviction this month on three firearms charges. Trump also repeated long-running claims related to the Bidens and Ukraine, a frequent attack point for Republicans.

Debate questions are turning to Jan. 6, 2021, when supporters of then-President Donald Trump stormed the U.S. Capitol during the certification of the Electoral College vote count.

Trump was asked by host Jake Tapper whether he violated his oath to protect and defend the Constitution.

Asked about the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021, Trump quickly pivoted to immigration and taxes. Pressed on his role, he said he encouraged people to act “peacefully and patriotically,” then attacked former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The rioters on Jan. 6 engaged in hand-to-hand combat with police and used makeshift weapons, including flagpoles, a table leg, hockey stick and crutch, to attack officers. Police officers were bruised and bloodied as they were dragged into the crowd and beaten. One officer was crushed in a doorframe and another suffered a heart attack after a rioter pressed a stun gun against his neck and repeatedly shocked him.

More than 1,400 people have been charged with federal offenses stemming from the riot. Of those, more than 850 have guilty people have pleaded guilty to crimes, including seditious conspiracy and assaulting police officers. About 200 others have been convicted at trial.

In first half hour of debate, a raspy Joe Biden has delivered rambling answers that sometimes trail off as he defends his policies and record.

Donald Trump has countered with falsehoods on issues including the economy, abortion and NATO members’ defense spending.

The two have also exchanged deeply personal attacks.

Joe Biden pushed back at Donald Trump bragging about pushing European allies to put more money into defense. “This is a guy who wants to pull out of NATO,” Biden said, adding that he “got 50 other nations” to support Ukraine against Russia’s invasion.

Biden forcefully responded to Trump’s NATO comments, saying: “He has no idea what the hell he’s talking about.”

About 6 in 10 Americans see NATO membership as a very or somewhat good thing for the U.S., while about one-quarter say it’s neither good nor bad and only about 1 in 10 say it’s very or somewhat bad, according to an AP-NORC poll conducted in February.

The questioning during Thursday's debate turned to foreign policy beginning with the Russian war in Ukraine, which is now in its third year.

Former President Donald Trump suggested Russia never would have attacked Ukraine if he had been in office.

“If we had a real president, a president that knew that was respected by Putin, he would have never he would have never invaded Ukraine,” he said.

Trump has a long history of positive comments about Russian President Vladimir Putin’s toughness, including calling Putin’s tactics in the 2022 invasion of Ukraine “genius” and “very savvy.”

Trump expresses no such warmth for Ukraine or Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, most recently calling him a “salesman” this month for the Ukrainian leader’s military aid requests to the United States.

Former President Donald Trump complained that migrants who arrive in the country illegally are housed in “luxury hotels” while veterans are on the street.

As expected, he also leaned heavily on discussing migrant crime. He also said migrants are coming into the U.S. illegally from “mental institutions” and “insane asylums.” He has not provided evidence for that claim, which he has frequently made at rallies.

Trump also said he had the “safest border border in history” — a highly questionably claim and a familiar talking point.

President Joe Biden has stuck to his talking points on immigration, highlighting 40% drop in arrests for illegal immigration since issuing an executive order suspending asylum.

He’s trying to gain ground on immigration, which has risen as a national priority, not just among Republicans.

Just 3 in 10 Americans approve of Biden’s handling of immigration, according to an AP-NORC poll from June. About 6 in 10 Democrats approve of Biden’s approach to the issue, but only about 2 in 10 Independents and fewer than 1 in 10 Republicans agree.

Joe Biden lost his train of thought during Thursday's debate while trying to make a point about tax rates and the number of billionaires in America.

Biden trailed off and looked down before mumbling about COVID and saying something to the effect that “we finally beat Medicare.”

When he tried to come back to finish his point, moderator Jake Tapper cut him off because his time was up.

Trump quickly interjected: “He’s right he did beat Medicare. He beat it to death.”

President Joe Biden blamed Donald Trump during teh debate for the deluge of state abortion restrictions since the fall of Roe v. Wade.

As president, Trump appointed three justices to the U.S. Supreme Court who helped form the majority that overturned the constitutional right to abortion — and he has taken credit for that during his campaign.

Highlighting Trump’s connection to the overturning of Roe v. Wade and its impact on pregnant people across the U.S. has become a cornerstone of Biden’s campaign. Biden has also warned that a second Trump term could lead to nationwide abortion restrictions.

Trump said on the debate stage that he believes in abortion ban exceptions “for rape, incest and the life of the mother.”

Those exceptions are at the heart of a case the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling on Thursday. Under Idaho’s abortion ban, women have been unable to get abortions in medical emergencies because the state only has an exception to save the life of the mother — not to save her health.

Trump repeated his catchall states-rights response when abortion rights came up, touting that he returned the abortion question to individual states after the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which once granted a federal right to abortion.

It’s an attempt to find a more cautious stance on the issue, which has become a vulnerability for Republicans and driven turnout for Democrats.

While Trump has repeatedly claimed “the people” are now the ones deciding abortion access, that’s not true everywhere.

Voters don’t have a direct say through citizen-led ballot measures in about half the states. In those that do allow such measures, abortion rights coalitions in several states this year have faced intense efforts by anti-abortion groups to thwart citizen initiatives on reproductive rights.

Voters in seven states, including conservative ones such as Kentucky, Montana and Ohio, have either protected abortion rights or defeated attempts to curtail them in statewide votes over the past two years.

Both Joe Biden and Donald Trump made multiple factual missteps as the debate began on Thursday.

Biden started out his debate with a gaffe, claiming he had created 15,000 jobs. The correct number is more than 15 million, a dramatic undercount by someone trying to renew voters’ confidence in his economic leadership.

Biden also said, “It’s $15 for an insulin shot, as opposed to $400.” But out-of-pocket insulin costs for older Americans on Medicare were capped at $35 in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act that President Joe Biden signed into law. The cap took effect last year, when many drugmakers announced they would lower the price of the drug to $35 for most users on private insurance.

Trump said the U.S. economy was ready to start paying down its national debt before the pandemic. That’s not true. Budget deficits were increasing under Trump because his 2017 tax cuts didn’t pay for themselves as he had promised they would. Trump inherited a budget deficit of $585 billion and it ballooned to $984 billion in 2019, only to climb above $3 trillion in 2020 after the pandemic hit, according to the White House Office of Management and Budget.

And Trump’s claim that “millions” were admitted to the country from prisons and mental institutions is unsubstantiated. There is no evidence of that.

Donald Trump opened Thursday's debate by bragging about the state of the economy while he was in office as well as his handling of the pandemic.

He said: “Everything was rocking good.

He also said the U.S. economy was ready to start paying down its national debt before the pandemic.

But that’s not true. Budget deficits were increasing under Trump because his 2017 tax cuts didn’t pay for themselves as he had promised they would. Trump inherited a budget deficit of $585 billion and it ballooned to $984 billion in 2019, only to climb above $3 trillion in 2020 after the pandemic hit, according to the White House Office of Management and Budget.

With the economy as the first issue of the debate, Joe Biden detailed what he described as an American economy “in freefall,” while Trump bragged about the state of the economy while he was in office, as well as his handling of the pandemic.

About 3 in 10 Americans said the economy was the most important problem facing the country in a May Gallup poll, but that included a range of economic issues.

About 1 in 10 pointed specifically to the high cost of living or inflation. About 2 in 10 Americans said immigration was the top problem facing the country, and another 2 in 10 said the government/poor leadership were the most important problem.

Thursday's debate has begun with a recitation of the rules by the hosts, Jake Tapper and Dana Bash. No audience is present.

President Joe Biden and presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump both slowly walked to their respective podiums as they arrived on the debate stage. They did not shake hands.

The Republicans seen as Donald Trump’s most likely picks for his running mate will be among those speaking on his behalf to the media after Thursday's debate.

Ohio Sen. JD Vance, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio will be advocating for Trump in the post-debate analysis, according to a person familiar with the plan who was not authorized to speak publicly.

They’re all seen as being on Trump’s shortlist for a potential running mate and their performances tonight are expected to be a factor in their audition for the role.

Associated Press writer Michelle Price contributed to this report from Washington.

President Joe Biden took a jab at Donald Trump’s insinuations that he’s using drugs to enhance his debate performance.

Biden posted photos on social media and a message that he’s been drinking a canned beverage called “Dark Brandon’s Secret Sauce.” It’s just water in a can, but the ingredient label notes Trump’s 34 felony convictions and stresses that the main ingredient in the aluminum can is “MAGA Tears.”

While Biden has tried not to dignify Trump’s criticisms, his campaign is now selling the canned water for $4.60 apiece. Biden noted that his wife, Jill, took the photos of him holding the beverage.

President Joe Biden has arrived at CNN in Atlanta for Thursday's general election debate. He was accompanied by his wife Jill.

Former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy says he hasn’t been asked by Trump to serve in an administration but says he’d be happy to do so.

Ramaswamy told reporters in the spin room ahead of the debate that he’d be “honored” to serve in some capacity, like White House chief of staff.

Ramaswamy also noted that he saw copious Trump supporters on his way to the debate and said the former president’s backers would “walk on hot coals” to support him.

Vivek Ramaswamy speaks to reporters in the spin room before a presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump in Atlanta, Thursday, June 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

President Joe Biden, right, and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, left, during a presidential debate hosted by CNN, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., speaks with reporters in the spin room before a presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, hosted by CNN in Atlanta, Thursday, June 27, 2024.(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Corey Lewandowski speaks with reporters in the spin room before a presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump, hosted by CNN in Atlanta, Thursday, June 27, 2024.(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks during an interview in the spin room before a presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump in Atlanta, Thursday, June 27, 2024. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young, shakes hands with President Joe Biden, right, as Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens looks on, as Biden arrives at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Marietta, Ga., en route to Atlanta to attend the presidential debate. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Joe Biden arrives on Air Force One at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Thursday, June 27, 2024, in Marietta, Ga., en route to Atlanta to attend the presidential debate. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

FILE - Ben Starett, lighting programmer for CNN, sets up lights in the spin room for the presidential debate between President Joe Biden and Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump in Atlanta, Wednesday, June 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

FILE - This combination of photos taken in Columbia, S.C. shows former President Donald Trump, left, on Feb. 24, 2024, and President Joe Biden on Jan. 27, 2024. (AP Photo)

FILE - In this combination of photos, President Joe Biden speaks on Aug. 10, 2023, in Salt Lake City, from left, former President Donald Trump speaks on July 8, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo, File)