North Korea is getting ready to blow up roads that cross the heavily militarised border with South Korea, Seoul said on Monday, amid an escalating war of words after the North accused its rival of sending drones over its capital Pyongyang.
North Korean troops were working under camouflage on the roads on their side of the border near the west and east coasts that are likely preparations to blow up the roads, possibly as early as on Monday, South Korea’s military spokesman said.
Kim announced a major policy shift last year, when he redefined the South as a hostile state rather than a temporarily occupied part of Korea. In practical terms, this means that Pyongyang no longer seeks unification of the nation, which was divided after the 1950s civil war and a US-led international intervention.
Last week, Pyongyang accused Seoul of sending drones into its airspace and warned that its military was preparing to open fire if a similar incident happens again. The robotic aircraft reportedly dropped propaganda leaflets on three separate occasions this month, including Friday.