North Korea has demolished parts of two major roads connecting its territory to South Korea, following threats to sever ties completely. South Korean authorities reported the blasts on Tuesday, a day after detecting preparations for the demolition, with countermeasures in place but details kept confidential by the Defense Ministry.
Lee Sung-joon, spokesperson for South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), confirmed that military personnel observed workers behind barriers on the North Korean side of the border, hinting at planned disruptions.
The explosions come shortly after North Korea accused the South of deploying drones carrying propaganda over its capital, Pyongyang, prompting threats of retaliation. This exchange is the latest in ongoing hostilities, marked by months of North Korea sending balloons filled with waste across the border.
Last week, North Korea’s military warned it would take decisive steps to sever remaining links with the South, following leader Kim Jong Un’s earlier decision to abandon a policy of peaceful reunification. He described inter-Korean ties as a “relationship between two hostile nations,” solidifying a sharp pivot in North Korea’s stance earlier this year.
In a statement on October 9, the Korean People’s Army (KPA) announced that all remaining roads and railways connected to the South would be cut off, citing an “acute military situation” on the peninsula. The KPA attributed this action to recent military exercises in South Korea and visits by U.S. strategic assets, which have fueled Pyongyang’s discontent over the past year.
Since January, North Korea has been reinforcing its border defenses by laying land mines, setting up anti-tank obstacles, and dismantling railway infrastructure, according to South Korean military observations. This increase in militarization accompanies aggressive rhetoric from both nations’ leaders.
Earlier this month, Kim Jong Un threatened to use nuclear weapons against South Korea if provoked, following a statement from South Korea’s president warning that any nuclear aggression by the North would lead to the regime’s downfall. This sharp exchange has coincided with North Korea’s ramped-up nuclear production and closer ties with Russia, raising alarms in the West about the country’s direction.
Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, suggested that North Korea’s actions may be an attempt by Kim to divert attention from economic struggles and justify military investments by emphasizing external threats. “Kim wants to project strength but may actually be driven by political insecurity,” he said, noting that North Korea’s aggressive stance is part of a broader strategy to maintain regime stability.
On Tuesday, Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that portions of the Gyeongui line on the West and the Donghae line on the East—two key road and rail links—were destroyed using explosives around noon. Although these routes have been inactive for years, the act carries significant symbolic weight, occurring amidst heightened tensions.
Footage from the South Korean Defense Ministry revealed explosions along roads on the northern side of the border, followed by the deployment of heavy machinery, including trucks and excavators, to block the area. The JCS confirmed that North Korean forces were conducting further work at the sites but provided no additional specifics.
In response, South Korean forces fired warning shots and are closely monitoring North Korean military activity, maintaining a high alert in cooperation with U.S. forces.
