North Korea blows up parts of inter-Korean roads, Seoul says

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea said North Korea on Tuesday blew up northern parts of inter-Korean roads that are no longer in use, as the rivals are locked in growing hostility over North Korea's claim that South Korea has drones over its capital flown, Pyongyang.

South Korea's general staff said in a brief statement that North Korea blew up parts of the roads on Tuesday.

It said the South Korean military was increasing its preparedness and surveillance posture, but gave no further details.

The blasts came a day after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called a meeting with his top military and security officials. During the meeting, Kim called South Korea's alleged drone flights a “serious provocation of the enemy” and laid out unspecified tasks related to “immediate military action” and the use of his “war deterrent” to defend the country's sovereignty, according to the North's state media reported earlier on Tuesday.

North Korea had previously put front-line artillery and other army units on standby to launch attacks on South Korea if drones from South Korea were found over North Korea again. South Korea has refused to confirm whether it sent drones but warned it would severely punish North Korea if the safety of its citizens was threatened.

The destruction of the streets would be in the Fuhrer's interest Kim Jong Un's advance to sever ties with South Korea, officially making it his country's main enemy and abandoning the North's decades-long goal of pursuing a peaceful unification of Korea.

During the previous era of inter-Korean détente in the 2000s, the two Koreas reconnected two road routes and two railway tracks across their heavily fortified border. But their operations were later gradually halted as the Koreas disputed North Korea's nuclear program and other issues.

Last week, North Korea said it would permanently block it Border with South Korea and are building frontline defense structures to counter the “confrontation hysteria” of the South Korean and US armed forces. South Korean officials said North Korea had already set up anti-tank barriers and laid mines along the border since the beginning of the year. They said North Korea also laid mines along its stretches of inter-Korean roads, removed lamps and destroyed train tracks on the north side.

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