North Korea has reportedly detonated sections of road leading to South Korea, effectively severing their connection according to Seoul’s military. The incident took place on Monday when explosives were set off on the northern side of the border. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) announced in a statement that North Korea had detonated parts of the Gyeongui and Donghae roads north of the Military Demarcation Line around noon, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
The two roads in question had not been actively used since August 2021, and the explosion caused no damage on Seoul’s side of the border, according to JCS. However, South Korea has increased its surveillance and readiness levels following these incidents. North Korean troops are also reported to have attempted to plant explosives along the road on the South Korean side of the demarcation line, which led to Seoul’s military firing warning shots in response.
The recent actions by Pyongyang follow accusations that South Korea had flown drones over its capital, an allegation Seoul neither confirms nor denies. North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, condemned the drone flights as “the enemy’s serious provocation” and ordered “immediate military action.” The tensions between the two countries have been exacerbated by joint US-South Korean military exercises, which North Korea has described as “provocative war drills for aggression.
In response to these perceived threats, the North Korean People’s Army (KPA) has fortified its side of the border with frontline artillery, army units, landmines and barriers. Last week, KPA pledged to completely cut off inter-Korean roads and railways in order to “separate” the two parts of the peninsula.
The relationship between North and South Korea has been historically strained since their 1950-53 conflict ended with an armistice instead of a peace treaty, and they have technically remained at war ever since. The animosity was somewhat alleviated during the tenure of former liberal South Korean President Moon Jae-in but escalated again when conservative Yoon Suk-yeol was elected president in 2022. In response to these developments, Pyongyang redefined South Korea as a “hostile” state last year.