North Korea on Tuesday morning blew up sections of roads and railroads linking it to South Korea. This was announced by the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the South Korean Armed Forces. Seoul condemned the move, accusing Pyongyang of continuing to escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
The bombings took place on North Korean territory. South Korean military personnel were reportedly not injured in the blasts. They fired warning shots south of the demarcation line.
The DPRK has previously said it plans to blow up roads and thereby “completely separate” North Korea from South Korea. Pyongyang called the move a reaction to South Korea’s launch of drones carrying anti-government leaflets. It is alleged that they reached Pyongyang. The DPRK said it had warned the US military about plans to undermine roads.
The roads were recently reconstructed, also at the expense of South Korea’s budget. They were seen as a symbol of possible cooperation and peaceful coexistence between the two countries. Recently, however, relations between the two Koreas, which are still technically at war, have once again escalated. North Korea has once again begun fortifying the border.
Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, has recently repeatedly said that Pyongyang views the launch of drones as aggression that could lead to war. And Kim Jong-un himself held a meeting on Oct. 14 because of the enemy’s “serious provocation to violate the sovereignty” of the DPRK, the CTAC news agency reported. Seoul denies the drone launch and at the same time accuses North Korea of launching balloons with garbage into South Korean territory.
South Korea, Western countries and Ukraine have recently been increasingly making allegations about North Korea’s direct involvement in the war in Ukraine on the side of Russia. The day before, Russian “President” Vladimir Putin submitted to the State Duma a draft law on ratification of the strategic partnership treaty between Russia and the DPRK. It stipulates that in case of aggression by a third country against the DPRK or Russia, Moscow and Pyongyang will provide each other with assistance, including military aid.
