SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – South Korea said Monday it has detected signs that North Korea is preparing to destroy the northern section of a disused inter-Korean highway, as the rivals face rising tensions over North Korea’s claim that South Korea . Korea is flying drones through his territory.
Destroying the road would align with leader Kim Jong Un’s push to sever ties with South Korea, formally establishing the country as his country’s main enemy and abandoning North Korea’s goal of pursuing peaceful Korean reunification.
South Korea’s military said on Monday it was monitoring various activities in North Korea that appeared to be preparations to destroy roads, such as installing screens.
“They have installed a screen on the road and are working behind the screen, preparing to blow up the road,” Lee Sung Joon, a spokesman for South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a briefing. He said demolition could begin as early as Monday.
Lee said the South Korean military believes the North may also try to launch a space rocket, which the UN considers to be a test of long-range missile technology. Lee said North Korea could carry out unspecified “small provocations” to increase pressure on Seoul.
It is unclear how many sections of the road North Korea will destroy.
The development comes as North Korea recently accused South Korea of ​​launching drones to drop propaganda leaflets in Pyongyang three times this month and threatened to respond with force if it happened again. South Korea has refused to confirm whether it sent the drone but has warned it will punish North Korea firmly if the security of its citizens is threatened.
In a statement Sunday, the North’s Defense Minister said the military had ordered artillery and other army units near the border with South Korea to “get ready to open fire.” The spokesman said the entire area of ​​South Korea “could turn into a pile of ash” after the North’s powerful attack.
North Korea often launches belligerent rhetoric when hostilities with its rival escalate. Experts say it is unlikely that North Korea will launch a full-scale preemptive strike because its military is no match for the combined forces of the US and South Korea.
Koo Byoungsam, a spokesman for South Korea’s Unification Ministry, said on Monday that North Korea’s accusations of South Korean drone flights may be aimed at creating tension to strengthen internal unity while causing instability in South Korea. Koo said that North Korea cannot win what it wants from South Korea with threats and provocations.
Some observers say anti-Pyongyang activists may have sent drones this month, but North Korea says the South Korean government still can’t escape responsibility because it needs to know about the move.
In 2022, South Korea sent surveillance drones across the border to North Korea after accusing North Korea of ​​flying drones into South Korea for the first time in five years.
Last week, North Korea said it would permanently block its border with South Korea and build a front-line defense structure to deal with “confrontational hysteria” by South Korean and US forces. It cited various military exercises in South Korea and the temporary deployment of strong US military assets in South Korea.
South Korean officials say North Korea has added anti-tank barriers, planted mines and strengthened roads on its side of the border since early this year in an effort to improve its security posture on the front lines and prevent its soldiers and citizens from retreating. to South Korea.
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula are at their highest point in years, with North Korea continuing provocative missile tests and South Korea and the US expanding military exercises. Observers say North Korea may conduct a major weapons test before next month’s US presidential election to increase its leverage in future diplomacy with America.
In January, Kim Jong Un ordered a revision of North Korea’s constitution to remove the goal of peaceful Korean reunification, officially designating South Korea as the country’s “unchangeable main enemy” and defining the North’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Kim’s order surprised many North Korea watchers because it appeared to set aside the long-held dream of his predecessors to peacefully achieve a unified Korea on the North’s terms. Experts say Kim likely aims to diminish South Korea’s voice in the regional nuclear standoff and seek direct dealings with the US.
