North Korea explodes part of inter-Korean road, tensions with South Korea rise

North Korea has blown up the northern part of the defunct inter-Korean border, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a brief statement. The South Korean military is increasing its vigilance and monitoring, but did not provide further details.

The explosion came just a day after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un convened a meeting of senior military and security officials. At the meeting, Kim described the alleged South Korean drone flights as “grave provocations by the enemies” and outlined tasks involving “immediate military action” and the deployment of “war deterrence forces” to defend the country’s sovereignty.

North Korea has previously put its frontline artillery and other military units on alert to attack South Korea if Seoul's drones are detected flying over its territory. South Korea, for its part, has refused to confirm that it sent drones, but has warned of severe punishment for North Korea if the safety of its citizens is threatened.

The destruction of the routes is seen as following leader Kim Jong-un's policy of cutting ties with South Korea, officially viewing the southern neighbor as the main enemy and abandoning the long-standing goal of a peaceful reunification of the Korean peninsula.

During the inter-Korean détente in the 2000s, the two Koreas reconnected two roads and two railways across the heavily fortified border. However, their operations were later gradually suspended as the two countries clashed over North Korea's nuclear program and other issues.

Last week, North Korea announced it would permanently seal its border with South Korea and build frontline defenses to counter the “confrontational hysteria” of South Korean and US forces. South Korean officials said North Korea had added anti-tank barriers and planted mines along the border since the beginning of the year. Seoul also revealed that North Korea had removed lights along inter-Korean roads and dismantled the northern rail line.

The latest developments have further raised concerns about the risk of armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula, especially as both sides appear tough and show no signs of concession. International observers have called on all sides to exercise restraint and seek diplomatic solutions to reduce tensions and avoid the risk of unwanted conflict./.