North Korea Destroys Border Infrastructure, Labels South Korea a “Hostile State”

 

North Korea has destroyed sections of its road and railway links with South Korea, declaring its neighbor a "hostile state," according to state media reports. The Korean People’s Army reportedly demolished 60-meter stretches of both road and rail along the east and west sides of the inter-Korean border. This action is part of what the North describes as a “phased complete separation” from South Korea.

The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) quoted a spokesman for North Korea’s Ministry of Defence, stating that this measure aligns with the country's constitution, which defines South Korea, officially known as the Republic of Korea (ROK), as a hostile entity. The KCNA cited escalating security threats and described the situation as teetering on the "brink of war" due to political and military provocations from South Korea.

This latest development follows a meeting of North Korea's Supreme People’s Assembly last week, where officials discussed amendments to the country's constitution. In January, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had announced that reunification with South Korea was no longer a viable option and proposed a constitutional change to categorize South Korea explicitly as a separate "hostile" state.

Kim had stated, “We don’t want war, but we have no intention of avoiding it,” emphasizing the regime's hardened stance towards the South.

In a related incident, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff reported on Tuesday that North Korean military forces had detonated sections of previously unused roads along the border. Tensions between the two Koreas have been rising, particularly after the collapse of a 2018 military agreement designed to reduce the risk of confrontations along the border.

Additionally, North Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a warning last week, threatening retaliation against South Korea for allegedly sending propaganda leaflet-carrying drones into its airspace over Pyongyang. In response, South Korea’s military urged its northern counterpart to “exercise restraint and not act recklessly,” noting that they could not confirm the North’s allegations.

The Korean Peninsula remains technically at war, as the 1950-53 Korean War ended without a formal peace treaty, and recent actions signal a continued deterioration of relations between the two countries.