South Korea reacts with gunfire after North border explosions

After North Korea blows up roads connecting the two countries, the South reacts with warning shots and reinforces surveillance

South Korea’s military authorities stated this Tuesday (15) to have detected explosions on two roads that connect the country to North Korea, at a time of increasing voltage in inter-Korean relations. The Chairman of the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that North Korean forces detonated explosives on the Gyeongui and Donghae lines, probably with the intention of blocking the roads connection.

Furthermore, North Korean forces would have positioned “heavy equipment” to other operationsaccording to the statement from the JCS (Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea). There was no damage to South Korean forcesas reported by authorities.

The JCS statement also highlighted that “our military fired warning shots in areas south of the Military Demarcation Line”. South Korean authorities stated that they are closely monitoring North Korean activities and have reinforced their surveillance in cooperation with the US, maintaining a state of maximum alert.

On Monday, Seoul had already warned that Pyongyang seemed to be getting ready to block the roads. JCS spokesman Colonel Lee Sung-jun said that “the North Korean military has been carrying out activities that may be related to the explosions along the Gyeongui and Donghae lines.” He also stressed that if North Korea takes any offensive action, South Korea will retaliate stronglyexercising its right to self-defense.

Last week, North Korean authorities had already announced that would permanently seal the border with the south, cutting rail and road connections and reinforcing its defenses. The Gyeongui Line connects Paju, South Korea, to Kaesong, North Korea, while the Donghae Line runs along the east coast. According to Seoul, North Korea spent months preparing the groundinstalling mines and dismantling infrastructure along these routes.

Pyongyang said it communicated its intentions to U.S. forces in South Korea to “avoid any misjudgment and accidental conflict related to the fortification project.”

These explosions occur after almost a year of growing tensions. In December 2023, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared the two Koreas as “hostile states”. Since May, North Korea has sent thousands of “trash balloons” to the South, as reported by JCS.

On the other hand, civic groups South Koreans have also sent balloons to the North, carrying rice, medicine and material critical to the regime from Pyongyang, which has provoked complaints and threats of response from the North Korean government.

Last week, Pyongyang accused South Korea of fly drones over his capital and ordered his artillery brigades to be ready to act on the borderaccording to state media. Seoul’s Defense Ministry, in turn, warned that Pyongyang will face serious consequences in case it causes any damage to the south.