Ministry of Unification Issues Statement 3 Hours After North Korea Blows Up Road
"Repeating Regression of Blowing Up Joint Liaison Office 4 Years Ago"
"Vice Minister's Repayment Obligation... All Responsibility Lies with North Korea"
The government criticized North Korea's simultaneous demolition of inter-Korean connecting roads as "regrettable behavior reflecting North Korea's repeated regressive actions." It particularly emphasized that the Gyeongui Line and Donghae Line projects were carried out with loans provided by the South, warning that North Korea holds both the repayment obligation and responsibility for this incident.
On the afternoon of the 15th, the Ministry of Unification stated in a press release, "North Korea's demolition of the northern sections of the Gyeongui Line and Donghae Line connecting roads is a clear violation of inter-Korean agreements," adding, "This is a highly abnormal measure, and the government strongly condemns it."
The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that North Korea blew up a section of the inter-Korean connecting roads on the Gyeongui Line and Donghae Line on the 15th. The photo shows the scene of the Gyeongui Line road explosion captured by our military CCTV. [Photo by Joint Chiefs of Staff]
In particular, it strongly criticized, "This once again shows the behavior of unilaterally blowing up the inter-Korean Joint Liaison Office, which had been operating for over a year under inter-Korean agreements, citing North Korean leaflets four years ago," and added, "We are deeply regretful of North Korea's repeated regressive behavior."
According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, around noon on the same day, North Korea carried out what is presumed to be a demolition act aimed at blocking the connecting roads in the Gyeongui Line and Donghae Line areas. Currently, heavy equipment is being deployed for additional work, and the military authorities conducted retaliatory fire in the area south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) following North Korea's demolition.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that North Korea blew up a section of the inter-Korean connecting roads on the Gyeongui Line and Donghae Line on the 15th. The photo shows the scene of the Gyeongui Line road explosion captured by our military CCTV. [Photo by Joint Chiefs of Staff]
The Ministry of Unification emphasized that the Gyeongui Line and Donghae Line railroads and roads demolished by North Korea were representative inter-Korean cooperation projects carried out after inter-Korean summits, and pointed out that North Korea must repay the loans provided by South Korea.
The Ministry of Unification stated, "These were constructed through the provision of materials and equipment worth a total of 132.9 million dollars (approximately 180.9 billion won) in the form of loans at North Korea's request," emphasizing, "The repayment obligation for these loans still lies with North Korea." It also added, "All responsibility related to the demolition of inter-Korean railroads and roads lies with North Korea."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
