SEOUL, June 22 (UPI) — South Korea’s military on Monday condemned North Korea’s border fortification work near the Military Demarcation Line inside the Demilitarized Zone, calling it a violation of the armistice agreement that ended fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War.<\/p>\n
According to a report published<\/a> Monday by the JoongAng Ilbo, the North has installed barbed-wire fencing roughly 265 to 295 feet from the MDL and cleared land for mine-laying just 16 to 32 feet from the line dividing the two Koreas.<\/p>\n “The North Korean military’s installation of obstacles in the MDL area is a clear violation of the armistice agreement, and our military will continue to respond through close cooperation with the United Nations Command,” Defense Ministry spokeswoman Chung Bin-na said during a press briefing.<\/p>\n “Our military is closely monitoring the North Korean military’s work trends in the MDL area,” she said. “We maintain the capability and readiness to respond overwhelmingly to any North Korean provocation.”<\/p>\n Chung said the ministry’s assessment was based on provisions of the armistice establishing the DMZ as a buffer zone designed to prevent incidents that could trigger renewed hostilities.<\/p>\n The DMZ extends about 1.24 miles on either side of the MDL, creating a buffer between the two Koreas. However, relations have deteriorated since North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared the South a “hostile state” and scrapped an inter-Korean military agreement in late 2023.<\/p>\n In April 2024, Pyongyang began ramping up activity<\/a> in frontline areas of the DMZ by clearing land, laying mines, reinforcing tactical roads and installing anti-tank barriers along the MDL.<\/p>\n According to the JoongAng Ilbo report, which cites military officials and a lawmaker, North Korea has increased the number of troops mobilized for the work from about 1,000 last year to 5,000 this year.<\/p>\n