Kim Jong-un defined inter-Korean relations as a ‘hostile relationship between two countries’ and declared publicly both at home and abroad that ‘unification is unlikely’, and even recently revised the Constitution, which appears to have specified Korea as a hostile country. In relation to this, North Korea blocked the Gyeongui Line and Donghae Line railways, laid mines, installed anti-tank protective walls, and eventually took measures to completely cut off land routes between South and North Korea by blowing up some sections of the inter-Korean road.
Recent satellite photos showed North Korea constructing a new tactical road close to the Armistice Line (Military Demarcation Line) in the central and eastern sectors of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in order to deploy barbed wire fences forward. The construction of a new barbed wire fence totaling 16.6km in the central and eastern regions has been identified, and it is expected to expand throughout the demilitarized zone in the future and connect to the western part. In the end, there are concerns that the North Korean DMZ zone may disappear as the North Korean barbed-wire fence becomes the cease-fire line.
Satellite images were analyzed using Sentinel-2A/2B images taken by satellites operated by the European Space Agency (ESA). In the central DMZ, construction of a new 11.2 km barbed wire road was observed in front of Harrowmeori Hill, Cheorwon-gun, Gangwon-do, and in the eastern DMZ, construction of a 5.4 km barbed-wire road was discovered in front of Hill 854 at the Battle of Punchbowl, Inje-gun, Gangwon-do.
The Demilitarized Zone, where human access has been restricted for nearly 70 years, is recognized as a treasure trove of animal and plant ecosystems, including aquatic insects and fish in rivers and rivers, and many environmental groups at home and abroad have consistently raised claims and academic research that separate sections should continue to be preserved even after unification. It has been done and has been going on. However, North Korea’s provocative act of violating the Inter-Korean Military Armistice Agreement and advancing the barbed wire fence close to the ceasefire line is pushing the North Korean DMZ into a situation of ecological crisis that may disappear in the future.
◆north DMZ New construction on the south side of the iron fence – Cheorwon-gun, Gangwon-do
Satellite photos captured the construction of a tactical road that North Korea is installing in the area in front of Arrowhead Hill in the demilitarized zone in Cheorwon-eup, Cheorwon-gun, Gangwon-do, close to the Military Demarcation Line along the Northern Limit Line, a barbed-wire defense line. The Demilitarized Zone is a demilitarized buffer zone of 4km in total, 2km to the north and south centered on the Military Demarcation Line, the armistice line, at the time of the North-South Military Armistice Agreement on July 27, 1953. The length of the ceasefire line is said to be 155 miles, but the actual length is said to be 148 miles (238 km).
Looking at satellite images, North Korea unilaterally intruded about 1km into the DMZ from the initially established First Northern Limit Line and established the Second Northern Limit Line, which it has been operating ever since. However, this year, the construction of a new tactical road was discovered to have encroached another 800 to 900 m to install the third Northern Limit Line. Looking at the satellite photo from June 20, it is confirmed that the 3rd barbed wire road was constructed parallel to the Military Demarcation Line and is 3.9km long. In the satellite photo on the right, you can see that the tactical road was extended by 7.3km in the southwest direction toward the end of September. The total length is 11.2km, and the 3rd Northern Limit Line was installed deep into the DMZ. The new barbed wire tactical road is understood to be as close as 60m in places close to the Military Demarcation Line, and construction work is expected to expand throughout the demilitarized zone in the future.
The Battle of Arrowhead Hill was a fierce battle to gain the upper hand during the Korean War in which the Korean and US infantry divisions and the French battalion fought against the Chinese army, taking many casualties.
◆north DMZ New construction on the south side of the iron fence – Yanggu-gun, Gangwon-do
In the eastern section of the Demilitarized Zone, North Korea’s barbed wire fence has moved south deep into the DMZ and road construction is being deployed in recent satellite photos. In Seohwa-myeon, Inje-gun, Gangwon-do, the northern section in front of Hill 854, famous for the Punchbowl Battle during the Korean War, is the construction section. North Korea is lowering the DMZ barbed wire fence to the south and building a new tactical road close to the Military Demarcation Line.
North Korea intruded 1.4km into the DMZ from the originally established first Northern Limit Line and installed a second barbed wire fence. Looking at satellite photos from October 13, North Korea advanced another 860m and established a third barbed wire fence (3.4km long). ) can be confirmed that construction work is in progress. Satellite photos show that the barbed wire road construction has been extended by 1.2km in the northeast direction and by 760m in the southwest direction, for a total length of 5.4km. It is expected that the third barbed wire road construction will continue to extend throughout the Demilitarized Zone. In areas close to the Military Demarcation Line, tactical roads are being built up to 15m away.
The Battle of Punchbowl was a battle fought to occupy the high ground on the northern ridge of the coastal basin in Yanggu-gun, Gangwon-do during the Korean War, and is known to have become the motif of the movie ‘The Battle of the High Ground’. It was a victorious battle for the friendly forces, who succeeded in taking control of the ridge in the area by successively occupying nearby hills as the UN forces, including the ROK Army’s 1st Marine Regiment and the US Marine Division’s 1st Division, successively occupied the nearby hills. As a result of successive highland battle victories on the eastern front of Gangwon-do, the eastern part of South Korea’s map today has advanced north of the 38th parallel compared to before the war, and a cease-fire line has been drawn, a brilliant achievement in expanding our territory. We express our condolences and gratitude to the sacrifice and dedication of young heroes at home and abroad who died on the battlefield at a young age.
◆DMZ half fate?
In some places, North Korea’s third barbed wire installation project is so close to the military demarcation line, the armistice line, that the shortest line is only 15 meters. If construction expands throughout the DMZ, the width of the North Korean DMZ will gradually narrow. It is believed to be the result of the North Korean regime’s arbitrary and stubborn behavior of not recognizing the boundaries of the demilitarized buffer zone and ignoring even military cease-fire agreements. If construction of the North Korean barbed wire fence progresses and the North Korean DMZ gradually narrows and eventually disappears, we may lose another valuable historical ecological asset.
The DMZ has been controlled and preserved by restricting human access for nearly 70 years. As a result, the environmental conservation value of the DMZ has been widely recognized globally as a treasure trove of flora and fauna, including insects and fish in rivers and rivers. Regarding ways to utilize the DMZ after the unification of North and South Korea, various environmental and academic groups at home and abroad have raised the claim that some sections should be preserved as international heritage and related research has been conducted. If the northern section of the DMZ is narrowed and disappears, it will ultimately face a half-life with only the southern section remaining.
Source: www.dailynk.com
