North Korea escalates tensions with the South, announcing plans to sever all physical links and fortify its border.
On Oct. 9, in a statement released through its state media, North Korea declared that permanently cutting off and sealing its southern border with South Korea, which it described as its “number one hostile nation,” is a defensive measure aimed at ensuring the regime’s safety and deterring war. The regime further explained that roads and railways connecting the two countries would be completely severed and that extensive fortification work would take place along the border.
As part of this move, North Korea’s military sent a notification to the U.S. forces at 9:45 a.m. on the same day, explaining that the measure was intended to prevent misunderstandings and accidental clashes. The regime justified its actions by citing the frequent appearance of U.S. nuclear assets in the region and the increasing rhetoric about “the end of the regime” from what it described as warmongers.
In light of the rising tensions, North Korea’s General Staff announced that it would take military measures to completely separate the Republic’s territory from South Korea. This decision seems to be a response to South Korea’s recent Armed Forces Day celebrations and the deployment of the U.S. B-1B strategic bombers.
Kim Jong-un has been signaling a shift toward treating the two Koreas as hostile nations, moving further away from reconciliation. In a speech earlier this year, he called for the elimination of concepts like “unification” and “reconciliation” from the national discourse, emphasizing the need for steps to physically sever all connections between the two Koreas.
This recent push to fortify the military demarcation line further aligns with his stance, suggesting a move beyond rhetoric to tangible, physical measures. If the 248-kilometer border between North and South Korea is indeed fortified, it could symbolize the emergence of a “second Berlin Wall,” marking a new era of geopolitical tension reminiscent of the Cold War.
Although North Korea has not disclosed whether it revised its constitution during the recent Supreme People’s Assembly session to remove references to “peaceful unification” or include new territorial clauses, the announcement of severing ties and fortification lends credence to the possibility that such changes were made.
Professor Park Won-gon of Ewha Womans University noted in an interview that North Korea’s decision to inform only the U.S., while bypassing South Korea, reflects an attempt to drive a wedge between Seoul and Washington. He added that this is part of Kim Jong-un’s ongoing policy of antagonism towards the South, framed as “defensive measures.”
A South Korean military official clarified that North Korea had not directly communicated any details to the South, and that no confirmed military activities related to the announcement have been observed as of now.
The official added that while North Korea has been dismantling sections of the Gyeongui and Donghae railway lines and installing defensive structures and landmines near the demilitarized zone, no further activities related to fortification have been detected following the latest declaration.
