A South Korean Facebook fan page recently shared a video showing multiple angles of North Korea’s demolition of the road connecting the Gyeongui and Donghae railway lines. This footage highlights a significant moment, as North Korea blew up the connection on the morning of October 15. In response, the South Korean military confirmed that they had opened fire as a countermeasure. The South Korean government issued a statement strongly condemning North Korea’s actions as “extremely abnormal,” declaring that these actions violate bilateral agreements and that North Korea must take full responsibility for the escalation of tensions.
According to reports from the Korea Herald, the South Korean Ministry of Unification expressed concern in a statement, noting, “Four years ago, North Korea destroyed the ‘Inter-Korean Liaison Office,’ which had been jointly operated for a year, by using defectors’ leaflets as a pretext. Now, they have reverted to such behaviors again.” The ministry criticized North Korea for this “regressive action.”
The statement also pointed out that the Gyeongui and Donghae railway lines were constructed with financial assistance from South Korea, amounting to approximately $132.9 million.
