North Korea, Building a 'Second Berlin Wall'? [Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club]

Construction of Barriers at Four Front Locations... Extending Over 200m
Hostage Area Formation, Landmine Installation, and Defector Control

It has been confirmed that North Korea recently constructed concrete barriers along the Military Demarcation Line (MDL). Military authorities are closely monitoring whether North Korea intends to build a massive wall stretching 248 km east to west along the armistice line.

There are concerns that if North Korea builds a massive wall along the armistice line, it could symbolize the arrival of a "new Cold War" born from the confrontation between China, Russia, and the United States, becoming a "second Berlin Wall." (Photo by Joint Chiefs of Staff)

On the 18th, a Joint Chiefs of Staff official stated, "Since April, North Korea has deployed troops in some areas between the Northern Limit Line (2 km north of the MDL) to create no-man's land, lay mines, reinforce tactical roads, and carry out work presumed to be anti-tank barriers." He added, "This morning, some North Korean soldiers crossed the central front MDL but retreated after warning shots from our forces." The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) is currently overgrown with vegetation, making the MDL markers difficult to see.

North Korea has erected concrete barriers at four locations along the front line. One of these barriers is over 200 meters long. If North Korea builds a massive wall along the armistice line, it could symbolize the advent of a 'new Cold War' born from the confrontation between China, Russia, and the United States, becoming a 'second Berlin Wall.'

At the end of last year, North Korean State Affairs Commission Chairman Kim Jong-un defined inter-Korean relations not as 'kin' but as 'warring belligerents.' In his January address to the Supreme People's Assembly, he declared, "Step-by-step measures must be implemented to thoroughly separate the conditions for inter-Korean linkage in border areas," effectively announcing a severance of relations. North Korea’s commencement of building barriers in addition to the military demarcation line fence is interpreted as a physical formalization of this 'anti-unification' directive beyond mere rhetoric. Intelligence authorities also view the incident on the 9th, when 20 to 30 North Korean soldiers armed with pickaxes and shovels crossed the MDL near Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, and retreated after warning shots from our forces, as part of the barrier construction efforts.

Our military has assessed that North Korea’s laying of mines in the front-line areas has resulted in numerous casualties due to mine explosions. There are also observations that internal unrest within North Korea is significant enough for Kim Jong-un to feel the need to build walls to control the border.

A Joint Chiefs of Staff official said, "Considering North Korea’s current weather, labor force, and material supply conditions, the work area is likely to expand gradually," adding, "We are closely cooperating with the United Nations Command to prepare for any accidental situations in the front-line areas."