South Korea fires warning shots after North Korea blows up border roads

LONDON and SEOUL – South Korea's military said on Tuesday it had detected explosions on two cross-border roads connecting the country with North Korea, amid a recent significant deterioration in inter-Korean relations.

South Korea's General Staff said in a statement that North Korean forces detonated explosives on the Gyeongui Line and Donghae Line, “presumably to block connecting roads.”

North Korean forces also used “heavy equipment” for “further operations,” the JCS said.

No damage was caused to the South Korean armed forces, it said.

“Our military fired warning shots in areas south of the military demarcation line,” the JCS statement said.

“The military is closely monitoring North Korean activities and, in cooperation with the United States, has increased surveillance and alert readiness to maintain full readiness,” the JCS said.

Seoul warned on Monday that Pyongyang appeared to be preparing to destroy the roads.

“The North Korean military has carried out activities believed to be related to explosions on the roads along the Gyeongui and Donghae lines,” JCS spokesman Col. Lee Sung-jun said.

“If North Korea makes a provocation, we will take strong countermeasures in view of our right to self-defense,” he added.

The North Korean military announced last week that it would permanently seal the border with its southern neighbor, cut rail and road connections and strengthen defenses.

The Gyeongui Line connects the western South Korean city of Paju with the North Korean city of Kaesong, while the Donghae Line runs along the east coast. North Korea spent months laying mines, removing lights and dismantling buildings along the two routes, Seoul said.

Pyongyang said it had communicated to U.S. forces in South Korea its intention to “prevent any miscalculation and accidental conflict over the fortification project.”

Tuesday's explosions followed nearly a year of rising cross-border tensions after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared the two nations “enemy states” in December 2023.

North Korea has sent thousands of “garbage balloons” to South Korea since May, according to figures released by the JCS.

South Korean civic groups also send balloons into North Korean territory, often with rice, essential medicines and leaflets critical of the Pyongyang regime. North Korea has repeatedly protested against this approach and threatened a response.

Last week, North Korea accused South Korea of ​​flying drones over Pyongyang and ordered eight artillery brigades to be ready to open fire across the border, according to state media.

Seoul's defense ministry warned that Pyongyang would see “the end of its regime” if it harmed South Koreans.

Editor's note: This story has been updated.