South Korea’s military fired warning shots Tuesday after North Korea detonated parts of inter-Korean roadways and rail lines on its side of the tightly guarded border between the two Koreas.
As part of its campaign for a “two-state” system, Pyongyang announced last week that it will completely cut off inter-Korean highways and trains and further strengthen the territory on its side of the border, abandoning its long-standing aim of unification.
South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) stated that at around midday on Tuesday, some northern parts of road and rail lines connected to the South were destroyed.
Seoul’s unification ministry, which handles cross-border affairs, condemned the incident as a clear violation of past inter-Korean agreements, calling it “highly abnormal.”
Tensions mounted after the North last week accused Seoul of sending drones over Pyongyang.
North Korea said the drones scattered a huge number of anti-North leaflets, and Kim Yo Jong, leader Kim Jong Un’s powerful sister, warned that Seoul would pay a dear price.
South Korea’s government has declined to say whether the South Korean military or civilians had flown the alleged drones.
The two Koreas have also clashed over balloons of trash floated since May from North Korea.
Pyongyang has said the launches are a response to balloons sent by anti-regime activists in the South.
After Tuesday’s demolitions, video released by the South’s military showed an explosion and a plume of smoke rising above an area of road where the North had put up a black barrier.
In response to the blasts, the South’s military fired warning shots south of the military demarcation line, although there was no damage on Seoul’s side of the border, it said.
Pyongyang has been attempting to destroy inter-Korean connections, redefining the South as a separate, hostile enemy state, since Kim Jong Un labeled it a “primary foe” earlier this year and stated that unification was no longer conceivable.
The 1950-53 conflict between the two Koreas ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty, hence the two Koreas remain formally at war.
Cross-border roads and trains are remains of reconciliation, which featured a summit in 2018.
According to data from the Unification Ministry, Seoul has committed more than $132 million in restoring relations with Pyongyang through low-interest loans.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a press briefing that Beijing was concerned about the situation and sought to avoid further escalation of the conflict.
The government of South Korea’s Gyeonggi Province, which borders the North, announced on Tuesday that a special police unit will be sent to combat the practice of floating anti-North Korean leaflets from certain border areas.
