In a dramatic escalation of inter-Korean tension, North Korea has demolished sections of roads and railways near the heavily fortified border with South Korea on Tuesday.
The South’s military responded with warning shots, underscoring the increasingly soured relations between the two nations.
According to the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the destruction took place around midday on Tuesday, impacting roads and rail lines on the northern side of the border. The move followed Pyongyang’s recent declaration that it would sever all inter-Korean connections and bolster defences along its side of the border as part of its push for a “two-state” system, abandoning its longstanding unification goal.
South Korea’s unification ministry, which oversees cross-border relations, swiftly condemned the destructions. Ministry spokesperson Koo Byoung-sam labelled the incident as a violation of prior inter-Korean agreements, calling it “highly abnormal.” He added, “It is deplorable that North Korea is repeatedly conducting such regressive behaviour.”
The demolition also followed allegations by North Korea that South Korea sent drones into its territory, allegedly scattering anti-North Korean leaflets. Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, warned on Tuesday that Seoul would “pay a dear price” for the actions. While South Korea has neither confirmed nor denied any drone operations, the accusations have further inflamed hostilities.
Footage released by South Korea’s military captured the explosion, with smoke plumes rising above the affected areas. The video also showed North Korean military officials supervising dump trucks and earth-movers as they dismantled the infrastructure.
In response, South Korean forces fired warning shots near the military demarcation line, although they reported no damage on their side of the border.
North Korea’s move reflected an intensified effort to sever ties with Seoul, which Kim Jong Un labelled as a “primary foe” earlier this year. The two Koreas have been technically at war since their 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty.
The dismantled infrastructure represented remnants of a hopeful rapprochement, including a 2018 summit aimed at reconciliation. The South had invested over $132 million in rebuilding cross-border links, financed through low-interest loans. Koo noted that the project “was a major inter-Korean cooperation project that was carried out upon the request from the North,” and emphasized that Pyongyang is still obligated to repay these loans.
The demolitions echoed a similar incident in 2020, when North Korea destroyed a joint liaison office near the border after nuclear talks with the United States faltered. South Korea subsequently filed a lawsuit seeking 45 billion won ($33 million) in damages from the North for the office’s destruction.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning expressed concern over the developments, urging restraint to “avoid further escalation of the conflict.”
Meanwhile, South Korea’s Gyeonggi Province, which borders the North, has announced plans to deploy special police forces to curb the launch of anti-North Korean leaflets—a practice reignited after South Korea’s constitutional court overturned a ban on such activities last year. While supporters of the campaigns cite freedom of speech, opponents argue that authorities should block actions that could jeopardize safety.
