North Korea has announced that it will completely cut off all roads and railway connections to South Korea starting from Wednesday, in a move aimed at “completely separating” the two countries.
The North Korean military said it would permanently shut down and block the southern border, also planning to strengthen its defenses along the border.
The Korean People’s Army explained that this decision is a “self-defensive measure” to prevent war, saying it was responding to military exercises happening in South Korea and the presence of U.S. nuclear weapons in the area.
“The current military situation on the Korean peninsula requires us to take stronger actions to protect national security,” said the KPA in a report shared by North Korea’s state news agency KCNA.
This move by Pyongyang adds to the growing tension between the two Koreas, which are already experiencing one of the worst periods of hostility in years. However, the closure of roads and railways is mostly symbolic since these routes are rarely used and have already been dismantled in the past year by North Korean authorities.
North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, had earlier signaled a shift in his stance towards South Korea, stating at the beginning of 2023 that he was no longer pursuing reunification with the South. This announcement raised fears of potential conflict on the Korean peninsula.
“I believe it is necessary to revise some parts of the DPRK Constitution,” Kim said during a meeting of the Supreme People’s Assembly in January. He suggested removing references to “peaceful reunification” and “national unity” from the constitution. While many expected these changes to be finalized at this week’s assembly session, no official amendments were made public.
Experts believe that North Korea may be waiting to see the outcome of the U.S. presidential election before making final decisions on constitutional changes. “Officials could consider adjusting the extent of constitutional revisions to align with the direction of the new U.S. administration,” said Hong Min, an analyst from the Korea Institute for National Unification.
It is still unclear if North Korea’s decision to cut off all roads and railways is directly linked to discussions during the recent assembly session.
