On October 15, North Korea constructed barriers to impede tank movement along the Gyeongui and Donghae Lines, which they had previously demolished. The South Korean military officials have characterized this construction as a mere display of force.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) reported that North Korean forces had been deploying 300 to 400 personnel and heavy machinery daily to these sites since the explosions on October 15. The JCS announced this operation was concluded on Friday.
According to the JCS, North Korean troops erected concrete antitank ditches along both lines to obstruct armored vehicle movement. They constructed earthen embankments reaching 11 meters (36 feet) in height north of these ditches.
The antitank ditch on the Donghae Line spans approximately 160 meters (525 feet) in width, 10 meters (33 feet) in length, and 5 meters (16 feet) in depth. One on the Gyeongui Line is similarly sized but shallower at 3 meters (10 feet) deep. The adjacent earthen dam on the Northern side of the antitank ditch measures roughly 120 meters (394 feet) wide, 50 meters (164 feet) long, and 11 meters (36 feet) high. Vegetation was observed atop both embankments.
A JCS spokesperson stated that they assess this as a theatrical construction effort to showcase North Korea’s alleged complete severance of inter-Korean connections. Currently, no North Korean military personnel are visible in these areas.
South Korean surveillance equipment captured on Friday North Korean forces briefly raised their national flag on the Donghae Line dam for a photo op before promptly removing it. A JCS official commented, “This appears to be a symbolic gesture asserting territorial claims, given North Korea’s recent border declarations. The flag was likely displayed only momentarily for documentation purposes.” No similar flag-raising was observed on the Gyeongui Line.
However, South Korean military analysts do not view them as genuine conflict prevention measures. They continue to monitor North Korean troop movements in the region closely. Strategic assessments suggest that North Korean forces could rapidly fill the antitank ditches using soil from the barriers in a crisis scenario, potentially creating invasion routes.
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