North Korea to ‘permanently’ block border in first public step of treating South as hostile
Pyongyang will sever all road and rail links with its southern neighbour, ‘fortify’ its side of the border with ‘strong defence structures’
North Korea’s announcement that it will sever all road and rail links with the South marks the first publicised military action to cut physical ties with what Pyongyang now considers a “principal enemy”, according to observers.
The North’s military general staff made the declaration on Wednesday after a session of the Supreme People’s Assembly, North Korea’s rubber-stamp parliament, which met on Monday and Tuesday to revise the constitution.
Details of the amendments remain undisclosed, but it is known to centre on defining inter-Korean relations and designating the maritime border in the Yellow Sea, a frequent site of clashes between the two sides.
The North will “fortify” its side of the border with “strong defence structures,” according to a report by the North Korean People’s Army, published by the Korean Central News Agency.
“For our army to permanently shut off and block the southern border with the ROK [South Korea], the primary hostile state and invariable principal enemy, in the current situation is a self-defensive measure for inhibiting war and defending the security of the DPRK [North Korea],” it said.
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North Korea to ‘permanently’ block border links to ‘hostile’ South
The North justified its actions by citing recent South Korean military exercises near the border, which it described as preparations for a “war of aggression”, as well as the deployment of US strategic nuclear assets in the region.
