Pyongyang: North Korea’s military has announced its decision to cut all road and rail links with South Korea starting Wednesday. According to a report by the state-run KCNA news agency, the country will also reinforce its defenses on the northern side of the demarcation line separating the two Koreas.
This development marks an escalation in border activity, which had been relatively quiet in recent years until now. Since early this year, North Korea has been actively installing landmines, erecting barriers, and clearing areas along the heavily fortified border, despite previous accidents. South Korea’s military confirmed in July that these preparations had been underway for months.
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The General Staff of the Korean People’s Army, in a statement carried by KCNA, said these actions were in direct response to ongoing military exercises in South Korea. They labeled South Korea as “the primary hostile state and invariable principal enemy.” The statement also condemned the frequent visits of U.S. strategic nuclear assets to the region, seeing them as further provocation.
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