N. Korea cuts power lines of South's transmission towers to Kaesong

[Anchor]

A scene has been captured showing the North Korean military attempting to dismantle the transmission towers installed by South Korea along the Gyeongui Line for power supply to the Kaesong Industrial Complex.

This is part of the ongoing severance measures between the two Koreas, and additional barbed wire has been installed at the Arrowhead Ridge on the central front.

Reporter Song Geum-han reports.

[Report]

Several North Korean soldiers are seen climbing the transmission tower installed on the Gyeongui Line road.

They are not properly equipped with safety gear and are climbing almost barehanded to cut the high-voltage wires.

This scene was captured by our military surveillance assets on the 24th, when the wire cutting operation began at the southernmost transmission tower near the military demarcation line.

[Lee Seong-jun/South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff: "Each transmission tower has six high-voltage wires and two supporting wires, and they cut those wires at the first transmission tower located north of the MDL (military demarcation line) ..."]

A total of 48 transmission towers were built along the Gyeongui Line from Munsan in Paju to North Korea's Pyeonghwa Substation in 2006 to supply electricity to the Kaesong Industrial Complex.

Among these, 15 towers are located on the northern side, all of which were constructed by Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) as our assets.

Since the power supply was halted following the destruction of the North's inter-Korean liaison office in 2020, it appears that they are continuing to show symbolic severance measures by cutting the wires of these transmission towers.

While our military authorities are monitoring whether the North will dismantle the transmission towers, the Ministry of Unification stated that the North's illegal infringement of property rights must be stopped and that they will respond firmly.

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that the North has also installed additional barbed wire at the Arrowhead Ridge on the central front.

Additionally, at the points where the Gyeongui Line and Donghae Line railroads and roads were blown up, an 11-meter-high retaining wall and a hill have been built, and a pit has been dug in front.

Our military stated that this serves as an obstacle to tank movements and aims to block defections by the North Korean residents or soldiers, and they are closely monitoring related developments.

This is KBS News, Song Geum-han reporting.