North Korea Blows Up Roads, Escalating Tensions with South

AFP

Seoul: North Korea has blown up sections of the Gyeongui and Donghae roads, which were once key links to South Korea, as part of its escalating military tensions with the South, according to Seoul’s military on Tuesday.

This action comes after Pyongyang vowed to permanently seal its southern border in response to what it perceives as hostile acts from Seoul.

In recent months, North Korea has intensified its military preparations, laying mines and constructing anti-tank barriers along the border after leader Kim Jong Un declared the South his country’s “principal enemy.”

Last week, North Korea accused Seoul of deploying drones to drop anti-regime propaganda leaflets over Pyongyang, prompting Kim to convene a security meeting and direct a plan for “immediate military action.”

The Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea reported that North Korea detonated parts of the roads north of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL). They assured that there had been no damage to South Korean military forces, which conducted a “counter-fire” operation in response to the provocations.

Experts believe the destruction of these roads sends a clear signal that Kim is not willing to engage in negotiations with the South.

“This is a practical military measure related to the hostile dual-state system that North Korea has frequently mentioned,” said Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul.

He suggested that North Korea may also be planning to erect more physical barriers along the border, indicating that the detonations could be preparatory work for constructing additional defenses.

On the drone front, while Seoul’s military initially denied sending drones north, it later declined to comment as Pyongyang directly blamed them, warning that the detection of another drone would be considered “a declaration of war.”

Activist groups have long utilized balloons and small, hard-to-detect drones to send propaganda into the North. Unlike conventional drones, these devices are constructed from expanded polypropylene, which makes them less detectable.

During Kim’s recent meeting, officials reviewed the “enemy’s serious provocation,” and Kim expressed a tough political and military stance. North Korea has also stated that the United States, which has a military alliance with South Korea, should be held accountable for the tensions.

Historically, North Korea has sent drones southward as well; in 2022, five of its drones crossed the border, prompting South Korean military responses that failed to shoot them down.

In July, Seoul announced plans to deploy drone-destroying laser weapons this year, part of a project dubbed the “Star Wars Project,” which is designed to enhance its defensive capabilities against provocations.

Relations between North and South Korea are at their lowest point in years. The North’s military stated last week that it would permanently shut the southern border by “completely cutting off roads and railways” and constructing “strong defense structures.”

As tensions rise, experts speculate that North Korea may respond aggressively if further drone infiltrations occur.

“North Korea is likely to engage in strong provocations along the border if there is a recurrence of drone infiltrations,” warned Cheong Seong-chang of the Sejong Institute.

The situation remains fluid as both nations continue to navigate a precarious military and diplomatic landscape.