North Korea Blows Up Two Highways That Links The North With The South

North Korea blew up parts of two major roads connected to the southern part of the peninsula on Tuesday, South Korean authorities said, after Pyongyang warned it would take steps to completely cut off its territory from the South.

Parts of the Gyeongui line on the West coast and Donghae line on the East coast, two major road and railway links connecting the North and South, were destroyed by explosives at around 12 p.m. Korean local time, according to Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

In practical terms, the destruction of the travel routes makes little difference - the two Koreas remain divided by one of the world’s most heavily fortified borders and the roads were not in use for years. But its symbolism comes at a time of particularly fiery rhetoric between the two Korean leaders.

Video shared by the South Korean Defense Ministry showed several explosions on roads on the north side of the military demarcation line that separates two Koreas. Heavy machinery including trucks and excavators were then deployed to at least one of the roads, which was partially blocked by a black barrier, according to the video. The JCS said the North was conducting “additional works with heavy machinery” at the scene, but didn’t specify further.

In response to the explosions, the South Korean military opened gunfire within the area south of the military demarcation line and is closely monitoring the North Korean military’s movements, maintaining “fully readiness posture under cooperation with the US,” the JCS said.