N. Korea blows up inter-Korean roads, cuts off land routes

North Korea on Tuesday blew up roads connected to South Korea once seen as symbols of inter-Korean cooperation as it seeks to cement its animosity toward the South, Yonhap News Agency reported, citing Seoul's Defense Ministry. "The North Korean military conducted detonations, assumed to be aimed at cutting off the Gyeongui and Donghae roads, at around noon and is carrying out additional activities using heavy equipment," the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a press release. The JCS said the South's military did not suffer any damage and that it responded by firing shots south of the Military Demarcation Line as a means of self-defense and as a warning against acts that likely violate the Armistice Agreement. "The military is closely monitoring the North Korean military's activities and maintains a firm readiness posture amid strengthened surveillance under South Korea-US cooperation," it added. Last week, the North's military announced a plan to "completely separate" North Korea's territory from South Korea, saying it had informed the US military of the move to "prevent any misjudgment and accidental conflict." The move came as North Korea has been ramping up inter-Korean tensions and wiping out traces of unification after its leader Kim Jong-un defined the Koreas as "two hostile states" late last year, with the country taking steps to dismantle inter-Korean land routes. Source: Kuwait News Agency