North Korea announced that starting today, it will cut off all land and rail connections with South Korea due to military movements by South Korea and the United States. This was described as a self-defense measure.

North Korea has revealed a new measure against South Korea.

According to the KCNA news agency, the North Korean People’s Army announced that land and rail connections at the border will be severed from October 9 onwards, with border areas being fortified with defense structures. The statement classified South Korea as the “primary enemy state” and the “main constant enemy,” stating that “the permanent cutting and closing of our army’s border is a self-defense measure aimed at preventing war and ensuring the country’s security in the current situation.” It was also mentioned that due to South Korea’s military exercises and the visit of some U.S. nuclear assets to the region, the military situation on the Korean Peninsula has become “acute,” leading to stronger and more decisive measures being taken. The announcement stated that the North Korean army informed the U.S. troops stationed in South Korea of the fortification activities via phone message, indicating that this was to prevent misunderstanding and the risk of accidental conflicts. Despite the presence of American military personnel in South Korea since the 1950-53 Korean War, with still 28,000 American troops in the country, the division between North and South Korea continues as one of the unresolved divisions from the Cold War.