On Tuesday, the South Korean military confirmed that North Korea has blown up a section of the road and railway connecting South Korea, escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
According to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), North Korea demolished sections of the Gyeongui and Donghae lines that connect to South Korea north of the Military Demarcation Line on October 15. The explosion did not cause any damage on the South Korean side of the border.
The JCS stated that North Korea has planted landmines and built defense structures along the border. On Monday, North Korea was observed conducting additional work using heavy equipment.
In response, the South Korean military issued warning shots south of the Military Demarcation Line and heightened defense readiness and surveillance in cooperation with the United States.
Last week, North Korea declared intentions to completely sever road and railway connections with South Korea and reinforce its border further. South Korea warned on Monday that North Korea was preparing to demolish the roads between the two Koreas.
South Korea spent approximately 180 billion won (about 132 million US dollars) to rebuild the inter-Korean roads. In November and December of last year, North Korea planted landmines along the Gyeongui and Donghae lines.
From March to August this year, North Korea dismantled fences, streetlights, steel tracks, sleepers, and garages on the North Korean side of the Donghae and Gyeongui lines. As a result, the only remaining passage between North and South Korea is the Joint Security Area at Panmunjom.
Last Friday, North Korea accused South Korea of flying drones over Pyongyang and distributing “a large quantity” of anti-North leaflets, labeling it as political and military provocation. This led to an escalation in tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korean leader Kim Jong-un convened a national defense and security meeting on Monday to discuss how to respond to what they deemed “serious provocation infringing on North Korea’s sovereignty.”
Military analysts believe that due to concerns about the military superiority of the US-South Korea alliance, Kim Jong-un is unlikely to initiate a large-scale preemptive attack on South Korea. Any retaliation from South Korea would threaten the survival of the Pyongyang regime.
South Korea’s Ministry of Unification condemned North Korea’s destruction of the road as “extremely abnormal” and a “regressive” move that violates previous agreements between North and South Korea.
(This article references reports from Reuters, the Associated Press, and the Korean News Agency)