1 month ago
North Korea’s military announced on Wednesday that it would take a ‘substantial military step’ to completely isolate its territory from South Korea, cutting the last remaining roads and railways along their shared border. This follows months of heightened fortifications and deepening hostility, raising concerns about further escalations on the Korean Peninsula, reported CNN.
The statement, issued by the General Staff of the Korean People’s Army (KPA) and shared through the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korea outlined that stringent actions are necessary to safeguard the country’s national security in light of the ‘acute military situation’ on the peninsula. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had earlier abandoned the decades-old policy of peaceful reunification with the South.
“The acute military situation prevailing on the Korean peninsula requires the armed forces of the DPRK to take a more resolute and stronger measure in order to more creditably defend the national security,” the KPA announced, referring to the recent war drills conducted by South Korea and the presence of US strategic assets in the region. Over the past year, American aircraft carriers, long-range bombers, and submarines have visited South Korea, triggering sharp rebukes from Pyongyang.
Months of escalating border defences
Since January, Pyongyang has been reinforcing its border with South Korea. According to South Korean military officials, North Korea has laid land mines, constructed anti-tank traps, and dismantled railway infrastructure along the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ). Kim Jong Un’s rhetoric has also intensified, with the South now labelled as the North’s ‘primary foe’ and ‘principal enemy’. The KPA’s latest statement reiterated these sentiments, signalling an ongoing shift towards a more entrenched and militarised stance.
The North Korean military’s actions appear to be a direct response to South Korea and US military activity. Seoul’s joint drills with Washington, and the deployment of US nuclear-capable assets to the region, have fuelled Kim’s fierce opposition. Last week, the North Korean leader threatened nuclear retaliation against the South, should there be any attack, following South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s warning that North Korea would face ‘the end of its regime’ if it used nuclear weapons.
Formalising separation
Experts believe North Korea’s latest move could be part of a broader plan to formalise its separation from the South. Hong Min, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for Unification, told CNN that the current fortifications along the border could be a precursor to constitutional amendments that further entrench the divide. “If North Korea were to establish a new territorial clause through constitutional amendment and sever relationship with the South, the internal and external repercussions would be so great,” Hong said.
Such a constitutional shift could represent a fundamental realignment of North Korea’s relationship with its southern neighbour, which has historically been grounded in the shared goal of reunification. Since the Korean War ended in 1953 with an armistice, the two Koreas have remained technically at war, though both governments have long expressed desires for eventual reunification — until now.
Mounting nuclear threats and deepening tensions
Tensions between the two Koreas have been simmering for months, exacerbated by North Korea’s accelerated nuclear production efforts and strengthening ties with Russia. Kim’s recent comments, in which he threatened to annihilate South Korea with nuclear weapons if provoked, were seen as a direct response to President Yoon’s showcase of South Korea’s ballistic missile capabilities during an Armed Forces Day parade on October 1.
Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha Womans University in Seoul, suggested that North Korea’s hardline stance might be driven more by internal politics than military necessity. “Kim Jong Un wants to project strength, both domestically and internationally, but his actions may be driven by political vulnerabilities at home,” Easley said.
“The regime’s strategy appears aimed at justifying its missile and nuclear programs by inflating external threats,” Easley added.
