Seoul: North Korea has informed the U.S.-led U.N. Command (UNC) of its plans to build fortifications inside the border between the two Koreas, according to Seoul's defense ministry. This marks the first notification of its kind in more than six months.
According to Yonhap News Agency, North Korea notified the multinational command tasked with monitoring inter-Korean border activities that it would resume construction of barriers and barbed wire fences on its side of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). A ministry official confirmed the notification, while a UNC official declined to comment on its communication with the North Korean military.
Since April last year, North Korea has been active in the DMZ, deploying troops to plant mines, erect anti-tank barriers, and reinforce roads. This follows the country's leader Kim Jong-un's description of inter-Korean relations as "two states hostile to each other" in late 2023. In October, North Korea had informed the UNC of plans to cut off all roads and railways connected to South Korea, build defense structures, and blow up cross-border roads.
Construction efforts were reportedly halted last winter but resumed in the spring. Some observers suggest the latest notification may signal Pyongyang's willingness to engage in communication following the inauguration of the new Lee Jae Myung administration in Seoul, which has committed to mending inter-Korean ties.
The defense ministry indicated that the North's notification might be a "meaningful" message concerning easing inter-Korean tensions but cautioned that it was too early to draw conclusions. The UNC commented that prior notifications from the North are "useful" for mitigating the risk of misinterpretation and miscalculation.