North Korea vows to block border with South Korea and build front-line defense structures

Seoul: North Korea said Wednesday it will permanently block its border with South Korea and build frontline defense structures to cope with “confrontational hysteria” by South Korean and US forces, while not announcing an expected constitutional revision to formally designate South Korea its principal enemy and codify new national borders.

While the moves were likely a pressure tactic, it’s unclear how they will affect ties with South Korea since cross-border travel and exchanges have been halted for years.

North Korea’s military said it will “completely cut off roads and railways” linked to South Korea and “fortify the relevant areas of our side with strong defense structures,” according to the North’s official Korean Central News Agency.

The North’s military called its steps a “self-defensive measure for inhibiting war and defending the security” of North Korea.

It said that “the hostile forces are getting ever more reckless in their confrontational hysteria.” It cited what it called various war exercises in South Korea, the deployment of US strategic assets and its rivals’ harsh rhetoric.

South Korea’s military said later Wednesday that it won’t tolerate any attempt by North Korea to change the status quo. It said South Korea will “overwhelmingly punish” North Korea if it launches provocations. A South Korean military statement said North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs have threatened peace on the Korean Peninsula.

South Korean officials earlier said North Korea had already been adding anti-tank barriers and reinforcing roads on its side of the border since April in a likely attempt to boost its front-line security posture and prevent its soldiers and citizens from defecting to South Korea.