North Korea recently notified the United Nations Command (UNC) of the discontinuation work, including the installation of barbed wire along the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), which began in April of last year.
According to the Ministry of National Defense, North Korea communicated to the UNC on the 25th that it would resume operations in the northern area of the MDL and the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) using the UNC-North Korea communication line. The UNC stated, "We are not disclosing our position on individual issues," adding, "Prior notification is useful in reducing the risk of misunderstandings and misjudgments."
North Korea has been deploying a large number of troops since last year to establish triple barbed wire, erect anti-tank barriers, and lay mines. The operations were temporarily halted around December of last year but resumed in April of this year. This is interpreted as an intention to demarcate the Military Demarcation Line as a border line based on the "hostile two-state theory" expressed by Kim Jong Un in 2023.
North Korea is currently deploying about 1,000 troops daily for these operations. Lee Seong-jun, spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a regular briefing that "the North Korean military resumed operations in the bordering areas from late last week, deploying about 1,000 workers per day," adding, "The military is closely monitoring the activities of the North Korean military and will respond according to principles if there are breaches of the MDL."
Earlier, North Korea had also notified the UNC of its plans just before blowing up some segments of the inter-Korean connection in the Gyeongui Line and Donghae Line in October of last year. At that time, North Korea mentioned in the notification, "We will proceed with construction to completely sever the roads and railway connected to the Republic of Korea in our area near the southern border line."
There are also analyses suggesting that North Korea's prior communication with the UNC may signal changes in inter-Korean relations. A Ministry of National Defense official stated, "This notification from North Korea could be seen as a significant message related to the easing of tensions on the Korean Peninsula, but it is still difficult to make any assumptions," adding, "Our military will continue efforts to ease tensions and prevent accidental conflicts."
Jeon Ha-kyu, Spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense, added at the regular briefing that he believes North Korea's notification to the UNC is "a meaningful message."