SEOUL, South Korea — In a symbolic display of anger, North Korea on Tuesday blew up the northern part of a disused road that once linked the South, with the rivals exchanging threats days after Pyongyang accused South Korea of flying drones over its capital.
The road demolitions underscore North Korea’s growing anger at the South Korean government. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has vowed to cut ties with South Korea and abandon the goal of peaceful Korean reunification.
Observers say that it is unlikely that Kim will launch a major attack on South Korea for fear that some major retaliation from the United States and South Korea could threaten Pyongyang’s survival.
In response to the explosion, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said its troops had fired at the southern part of the border. The statement did not provide details, but the move could be an attempt to avoid a border flare-up in North Korea. It is not yet known whether North Korea reacted.
South Korea’s military said it is strengthening its readiness and state of alert in cooperation with the United States.
Video provided by the South Korean military shows a cloud of white and gray smoke rising from the explosion on a road near the border town of Kaesong. North Korean trucks and diggers could be seen removing debris. Another video showed smoke billowing from a coastal road near the eastern border.
North Korea has a history of destroying buildings in its territory as a political message.
In 2020, North Korea blew up an empty South Korean-built liaison office north of the border in retaliation for the crackdown on South Korean citizens. In 2018, North Korea dismantled tunnels at its nuclear test site at the start of nuclear talks with the United States. In 2008, North Korea blew up a cooling tower at its main nuclear facility while previous disarmament talks with Washington and others were taking place.
The destruction of the roads will coincide with leader Kim Jong Un’s order in January to abandon the goal of peaceful inter-Korean reunification and officially designate South Korea as the country’s “main irreconcilable enemy.” That order surprised many observers outside of North Korea because it appeared to be in violation. from his predecessors’ long cherished dreams of annexing the Korean Peninsula on the North’s terms.
Experts say Kim may aim to reduce South Korea’s voice in the nuclear war and seek direct cooperation with the United States. Kim may also hope to reduce the influence of South Korean culture and strengthen his rule at home.
North Korea has accused South Korea of sneaking in planes to drop propaganda materials on Pyongyang three times this month and has threatened to respond with force if it happens again. South Korea refused to confirm whether it had sent the drones but warned that North Korea would face the end of its regime if the safety of South Korean citizens was threatened.
North Korean media reported earlier on Tuesday that Kim Jong Un had called a meeting with his top military and security officials the previous day. During the meeting, Kim described the alleged South Korean drones as “big sweat” and laid out unspecified tasks related to “swift military action” and his “war prevention” operation to protect the country’s sovereignty, the North Korean Central News reported. The Agency said.
During the previous period of inter-Korean demarcation in the 2000s, the two Koreas also connected two highways and two railway tracks across their heavily fenced border. But its operation was halted as the Koreans clashed over North Korea’s nuclear program and other issues.
Last week, North Korea said it would permanently close its border with South Korea and build advanced defense structures. South Korean officials said North Korea had been adding anti-tank barriers and laying mines along the border since early this year. They said North Korea had also planted mines and taken out lights on its sections of Korean roads and removed ties from the north side of the railway line.
In recent years North Korea has conducted a number of offensive missile tests, and South Korea and the United States have increased military exercises and cooperation.
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