N. Korea cuts roads, fortifies border: S. Korean military warns of response

[Anchor]

Hello everyone, this is the 9 o'clock news on October 9th, Hangeul Day.

The DPRK military announced today (10.9) that it will completely sever the roads and railways connected to South Korea and erect structures to divide the territory.

Experts believe this is a measure to prevent the defection of DPRK soldiers and residents.

Our first report comes from reporter Kim Yong-jun.

[Report]

The DPRK, through its General Staff of the Korean People's Army, which is equivalent to South Korean military's Joint Chiefs of Staff, announced today that it will completely sever the roads and railways connected to South Korea in the demilitarized zone.

It also stated that it will carry out construction to fortify the area by building structures, claiming this is a military measure to separate the territories of the DPRK and the South.

They argued that this was due to our military's war exercises, which heightened the war crisis.

However, as reported by KBS in June, the DPRK had already been erecting barriers, demolishing roads, and installing mines and barbed wire since spring.

They stated that they had notified the U.S. military of their construction plans, which is interpreted as an act to assert legitimacy regarding compliance with the armistice agreement.

A senior military official told KBS that explosions were heard in the demilitarized zone shortly after the notification to the U.S. side, and heavy equipment was also identified.

Experts analyze this as an act that reveals the DPRK regime's insecurity while simultaneously preventing the defection of DPRK residents and soldiers.

[Jeon Dong-jin/Former Commander of the Ground Operations Command/Ret. Gen.: "During the Armed Forces Day event, they would have seen Hyunmoo-5 and the U.S. strategic bombers, and especially with the recent strike on Israel resulting in the removal of the Hezbollah leader, I believe Kim Jong-un himself must have feelings of anxiety and fear about the future."]

The Joint Chiefs of Staff evaluated this as an act of no value, stating that talk of blockade and isolation is a desperate measure of the failed Kim Jong-un regime.

They also stated that they will not overlook any actions attempting unilateral changes to the status quo, and if the DPRK provokes, they will respond overwhelmingly.

This is KBS News, Kim Yong-jun.