North Korea moves to permanently block border with South Korea

President of North Korea, Kim Jong Un, has on October 9, 2024, announced intentions to permanently block the country’s southern border with South Korea.

In a statement, it said it would “cut off roads and railways” that might have aided movement between the countries.

According to a report by Channelnewsasia, North Korea said it was moving to “permanently shut off and block the southern border” with Seoul (South Korea).

The report stated that the country described its move as “a self-defensive measure for inhibiting war”.

It also stated that it was in response to regular war exercises between South Korea and the American nuclear assets stationed in the region.

The country’s army declared that it will permanently block the border by completely cutting off connecting roads and railways.

Labelling South Korea as “principal enemy”

According to a report published by the state media outlet, “the acute military situation prevailing on the Korean peninsula requires the armed forces of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to take a more resolute and stronger measure in order to more creditably defend the national security.”

The aforementioned media disclosed that Pyongyang is shuttering reunification agencies and labelling South Korea as its “principal enemy”.

The pronouncement has put the fragile inter-Korean relations at their lowest point in years.

It was anticipated that the nuclear-armed nation will renounce a historic inter-Korean pact reached during a significant parliamentary gathering in 1991.

This, it claimed, is a component of Kim Jong Un’s effort to officially designate the South as an enemy state.

North and South Korea leaders, Kim Jong Un and Moon Jae-in, shake hands over demarcation line

However, official state media did not bring up the termination of the accord in a later story that disclosed the appointment of a new defense chief.

The army declared it was preparing “a substantial military step”.

That would “completely cut off roads and railways connected to the South Korea and fortify the relevant areas of our side with strong defence structures.”

North Korea’s grouse with South Korea.

North Korea revealed that US nuclear weapons were frequently stationed in South Korea.

It added that it is in response to this, that it will permanently block its southern border against South Korea.

According to reports, it sent telephone message to US military on Wednesday morning to try and avert an unintentional confrontation.

“Prevent any misjudgment and accidental conflict over the fortification project to be launched in the acute southern border area,” North Korea messaged US force.

Even though it’s one of the world’s most militarized borders, in August a North Korean managed to cross it and enter the South.

Prior to this, Seoul said in July that Pyongyang had turned the region into a wasteland along the closely guarded border.

North Korea has reportedly placed landmines in the area and built barriers for months.

The South Korean military reported in June that landmine explosion incidents had resulted in “multiple casualties” among North Korean soldiers assigned to reinforce the barrier.

Seoul’s spy service reported in the same month that it had seen indications that North Korea was tearing up portions of a railroad connection that connected the two Koreas.

“North Korea has already been demolishing parts of the Donghae Line railway, seemingly with the intention of completely severing its connection to the South,” Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, unveiled.

Moo-jin called its latest statement “official confirmation”.

Briefly about North Korea and South Korea

North Korea

North Korea, officially the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia.

Its population is approximately 25 million.

The Capital of DPRK is Pyongyang.

The country has a Totalitarian dictatorship type of government led under the supreme leader, Kim Jong-un.

It has an isolated, centrally planned economy with North Korean Won as currency.

South Korea

South Korea, officially known as the Republic of Korea (ROK) is one of the Asian countries lying south of North Korea.

Its capital is Seoul and has a population of approximately 51 million persons, under a democratic government.

The country has a strong education system, vibrant culture, and has a high-tech industry hub (e.g., Samsung, LG).

The language is called Korean language, and its currency is the South Korean Won.

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