Signs are emerging that North Korea may be preparing to detonate roads along the Gyeongui and Donghae Lines, with analysts suggesting that a show of force, possibly involving explosions, could occur even today.
On Monday, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson, Lee Seong Jun, confirmed in a briefing that the North Korean military has set up barriers on certain roads and is preparing for potential explosions. “An explosion by North Korea is possible as early as today,” Lee said.
This follows an announcement from North Korea’s General Staff on October 9, stating that it would “completely sever roads and railways connected to South Korea” and begin fortifying the region with defensive structures. The road explosions are seen as part of these broader fortification efforts.
Since the end of 2023, North Korea has been laying mines around roads, removing streetlights, dismantling railways, and demolishing adjacent buildings to sever land routes with the South.
Lee further explained that North Korea could demonstrate its force through road explosions along the Gyeongui and Donghae Lines, the launch of a space vehicle, or smaller provocations like artillery fire near the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the West Sea.
On Sunday, North Korea claimed that a South Korean drone infiltrated Pyongyang and distributed anti-North Korean leaflets, ordering artillery units near the border to be fully prepared for action. On the same day, a spokesperson for the North Korean Ministry of Defense said, “We believe that South Korea’s military forces were involved in the drone incursion incident” and claimed that “an extremely tense situation has arisen where war could break out at any moment.”
In response, Lee indicated that the South Korean military is closely monitoring North Korea’s movements and is fully prepared for any provocations. He warned, “The military has been instructed to take preemptive action, report afterward, and respond strongly. If North Korea provokes us, we will retaliate firmly in self-defense.”
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