On October 17, the Korean Central News Agency reported that North Korea has completely sealed off the roads and railways connecting to South Korea in the eastern and western regions of its southern border.

According to the report, this action is part of a phased effort to fully separate North Korea’s sovereign areas from South Korean territory. The General Staff of the Korean People’s Army, acting on orders from the Central Military Commission of the Workers’ Party of Korea, took measures on October 15 to “physically sever the sections of roads and railways linked to South Korea.”

The report cites a spokesman for North Korea’s Ministry of Defense, who stated that at noon on the 15th, the North executed a controlled demolition to completely close the roads and railways over a 60-meter section in the area of Gamho-ri, Goseong County, and another 60-meter section in the area of Dongnae-ri, Panmunjom.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Land and Environment Protection noted that the demolition did not adversely impact the surrounding ecological environment, marking a complete separation of the connections between North and South Korea.

Furthermore, the North Korean defense spokesman indicated that the country will continue to implement measures to permanently fortify the sealed-off southern border.