North Korea will cut road and rail access to South Korea from Wednesday in a bid to “completely separate” the two countries.
Its military said the North would “permanently close and block the southern border” and fortify areas on its side.
The Korean People’s Army (KPA) described the move as a “defensive measure to prevent war”, saying it was in response to South Korea’s military exercises and the continued presence of US nuclear weapons in the region.
It marks an increase in hostilities at a time when inter-Korean tensions are at their highest level in years.
“The tense military situation on the Korean peninsula requires the military of the DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) to take strong and decisive measures to protect the country’s security,” the KPA said in a published report. it is the state news agency KCNA.
This announcement is a very symbolic step for Pyongyang. Roads and trains from North Korea to the South are rarely used, and have been increasingly dismantled by North Korean authorities over the past year.
It also comes amid a broader push by Pyongyang to change its relationship with the South, and follows a series of inflammatory incidents that have damaged relations between the two countries.
Those incidents ranged from missile tests to hundreds of junk balloons sent over North Korea’s southern border.
Notably, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un announced in early 2023 that he is no longer seeking reunification with the South, raising concerns that war could resume on the Korean peninsula.
“I think it is necessary to revise some of the contents of the DPRK Constitution,” Kim said at a meeting of North Korea’s Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA) in January.
“In my opinion, it is necessary to delete expressions in the constitution such as ‘northern part’ and ‘independence, peaceful reunification and great unity of the nation,'” he added, suggesting that the constitution should be revised “at the next stage.”
That next meeting was held this week, and concluded on Tuesday. However, while many observers expected Pyongyang to confirm Kim’s earlier comments and make amendments to the constitution for unification policies and restrictions, no such changes were announced.
One analyst at the Korea Institute for National Unification suggested that Pyongyang might wait for the outcome of the US election before making concrete decisions.
Officials may “consider adjusting the level of constitutional review to comply with the direction of the new (US) administration,” Hong Min told AFP news agency.
It is not clear whether North Korea’s decision to cut all road and rail links with the South is a result of the talks during the SPA session.
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