[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] North Plants Landmines on Inter-Korean Connecting Roads

North Korea has planted landmines on roads connecting the South and the North. Landmines were planted on all three roads linking the two Koreas?the Gyeongui Line, the Donghae Line, and the tactical road at Hwasalmori Ridge?effectively halting even joint excavation of remains.

The Army began mine clearance operations on the 2nd in the search route area of the Demilitarized Zone near the 5th Division (Key Unit) in Cheorwon-gun, Gangwon Province, to excavate the remains of soldiers who died in the Korean War. The Taegeukgi and UN flags are fluttering at the GP on Arrowhead Hill in the Demilitarized Zone.
Cheorwon - Photo by Joint Press Corps

According to military officials on the 29th, North Korea planted landmines at the end of last year on the tactical road within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) near Hwasalmori Ridge in Cheorwon County, Gangwon Province.

This road was established for the purpose of joint excavation of remains between the South and the North under the September 19, 2018 inter-Korean military agreement. During its construction, soldiers from both sides met across the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) and were photographed shaking hands. Since then, North Korea has not participated in the joint excavation. In January, it was observed that North Korea planted landmines on the Gyeongui Line road, connected in 2004, and the Donghae Line road, opened in 2005. The military also confirmed this month scenes of dozens of streetlights being removed from the Gyeongui and Donghae Line roads.

North Korea appears to be continuing efforts to completely sever physical connections after Chairman Kim Jong-un declared inter-Korean relations as "relations between two warring states" during his speech at the Supreme People's Assembly in January. In his speech, Chairman Kim instructed, "Strictly implement phased measures to thoroughly separate all inter-Korean linkage conditions in the border area, including physically severing the South Korean section of the Gyeongui Line, which existed as a symbol of inter-Korean exchange and cooperation, to an irreparable level."