Seoul, South Korea CNN —North Korea’s army said it will take the “substantial military step” of completely cutting off its territory from South Korea on Wednesday, after months of fortifying its heavily armed border.
Since January, Pyongyang has fortified its border defenses, laying land mines, building anti-tank traps and removing railway infrastructure, according to the South Korean military.
Over the past year, a US aircraft carrier, amphibious assault ships, long-range bombers and submarines have visited South Korea, drawing angry rebukes from Pyongyang.
“North Korea’s threats, both real and rhetorical, reflect the regime survival strategy of a hereditary dictatorship.”North and South Korea have been separated since the Korean War ended in 1953 with an armistice agreement.
In January, Kim said North Korea would no longer seek reconciliation and reunification with South Korea, calling inter-Korean relations “a relationship between two hostile countries and two belligerents at war,” KCNA reported at the time.
Persons:
Kim Jong, Kim, ”, Hong Min, ” Hong, Yoon Suk Yeol, Leif, Eric Easley, “ Kim Jong Un, ” Easley, ” KCNA
Organizations:
South Korea CNN, North, South, DPRK, Staff, Korean People’s Army, Democratic People’s, South Korean, General Staff, US, Korea’s, Chiefs, Korea Institute for National Unification, CNN, Inter, Korean, Armed Forces, Ewha Womans University, North Korean, United Nations Command
Locations:
Seoul, South Korea, North Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Pyongyang, Hong, Russia, West
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