North Korea confirms full road and rail links to South Korea

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) said on Thursday that roads and railways connecting South Korea in the eastern and western parts of the DPRK’s southern border have been completely blocked, the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

“On the orders of the Central Military Commission of the Workers’ Party of Korea, the General Staff of the Korean People’s Army (KPA) took a measure on October 15 to close the DPRK’s roads and railways leading to the ROK through the North Korean border. to be physically closed. eastern and western parts of the southern border of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, as part of the phased complete separation of the territory, where sovereignty is exercised, from the territory of the ROK,” the KCNA said, referring to South Korea by acronym of the official name. , the Republic of Korea.

“During the day on October 15, the 60-meter-long sections of roads and railways in Kamho-ri, Kosong County, Kangwon Province and the 60-meter-long sections of roads and railways in Tongnae-ri, Panmun District. Kaesong Municipality is completely blocked by explosions,” said a spokesperson for the DPRK Ministry of National Defense.

“This is an unavoidable and legitimate measure taken in accordance with the requirements of the DPRK Constitution, which clearly defines the ROK as a hostile state, and due to the serious security conditions leading to the unpredictable brink of war as a result of the serious political and military provocations of the hostile forces,” the KCNA report said.

A spokesperson for the DPRK Ministry of Land and Environmental Protection confirmed that the explosions had no negative impact on the surrounding ecological environment and that the routes connecting the DPRK and the ROK are completely separated, KCNA said.

The Ministry of National Defense said the DPRK will continue to take measures to “permanently strengthen the closed southern border,” KCNA added.

The KPA General Staff said on October 9 that the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea will completely shut down roads and railways connecting South Korea amid the precarious situation on the Korean Peninsula, according to an earlier KCNA report.