South Korea says North Korea notified UN Command of fortification plans inside demilitarised zone

Seoul, June 30 (IANS) North Korea has informed the US-led United Nations Command (UNC) of its plans to build fortifications inside the border between the two Koreas, Seoul's Defence Ministry said on Monday, marking the first notification of its kind in more than six months.

The North notified the multinational command tasked with monitoring inter-Korean border activities on Wednesday that it would resume construction of barriers and barbed wire fences on its side of the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), according to a local newspaper.

When asked about the report, a ministry official confirmed the notification did take place, while a UNC official declined to comment about its communication with the North Korean military, reported Yonhap news agency.

Since April last year, North Korea has deployed troops near the military demarcation line (MDL) within the DMZ to plant mines, erect anti-tank barriers, and reinforce barbed wire fences after the country's leader, Kim Jong-un, described inter-Korean ties as those between "two states hostile to each other" in late 2023.

Last October, North Korea announced that it had informed the UNC it would cut off all roads and railways connected to South Korea and build defence structures before blowing up cross-border roads once seen as symbols of inter-Korean reconciliation.

South Korea's military said the North resumed construction activities in front-line areas late last week, mobilising more than 1,000 personnel a day across six locations, compared with about 4,000 to 5,000 troops across more than 10 sites last year.

"Our military is closely monitoring North Korean military activities and will respond in accordance with principles if they violate the MDL," Col. Lee Sung-Jun, spokesperson of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a briefing.

South Korean soldiers have fired warning shots in response to North Korean troops briefly crossing the border line multiple times over the past year.

Some observers said the latest notification may be a possible sign of Pyongyang's willingness to engage in communication after the launch of the new Lee Jae Myung administration in Seoul this month, which has vowed to mend frayed inter-Korean ties.

The defence ministry said the North's notification could be seen as a "meaningful" message in relation to easing inter-Korean tensions, but noted it was too soon to make a judgment.

The UNC said the North's delivering prior notifications in general is "useful" to mitigate the risk of misinterpretation and miscalculation.

--IANS

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