Roads And Rails Detonated Near Borders Built Using Debt, South Korea Make Sure To Collect North Korea

The railroad and highway lines in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) of the second Korean border. (Wikimedia Commons/Kussy)

JAKARTA - South Korea's Unification Ministry on Tuesday strongly condemned the partial detonation of roads linking the two countries by North Korea as a clear violation of inter-Korean agreements and "very abnormal" actions.

The ministry issued the statement after North Korea blew up parts of Gyeongui and Donghae roads north of the inter-Korean border around noon on Tuesday. In August, North Korea cut off the Gyeongui and Donghae railway lines.

The Unification Ministry regrets repeating North Korea's "regressive" actions, citing North Korea's unilateral action in 2020 that blew up a joint liaison office in North Korea's border town, Kaesong.

"The explosions carried out by North Korea on the north of Gyeongui and Donghae roads constitute a clear violation of the inter-Korean agreement and a very abnormal act. We strongly condemn North Korea's actions," the ministry said, quoted by The Korea Times, October 16.

The two Koreas have roads and railroads connected to each other along the Gyeongui Line, which connects South Korea's western border town, Paju, with Kaesong in North Korea and the Donghae Line along the east coast.

The ministry said the project to connect roads and railroads involved a USD 133 million South Korean loan for providing construction equipment in the form of loans at North Korea's request.

"North Korea still has an obligation to pay off debt," the ministry said.

"All responsibilities related to the explosion of the inter-Korean land route are in North Korea's hands," he continued.

Last week, North Korea was determined to cut off all highways and railroads connected to South Korea and build a frontline defense structure, as the country wanted to "fully separate" North Korea's territory from South Korea, what Pyongyang calls "a major enemy state and an ever-changing major enemy."