By D. Maan, Jadetimes News
North Korea Building Border 'Wall,' Satellite Images Reveal
Construction Near the DMZ
New satellite images reveal that North Korea is building sections of what appears to be a wall in several places near its border with South Korea. Images analyzed also reveal land clearance inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which experts suggest could violate the longstanding truce with South Korea.
Cleared Land and Truce Violation Concerns
The DMZ is a 4km (2.5 miles) wide buffer zone between North and South Korea, who are still technically at war, never having signed a peace treaty. The DMZ is divided into two sections, each controlled by the respective nations. Experts consider this recent activity "unusual," especially amid rising tensions between the two countries.
Strengthening Military Presence
“At this point, we can only speculate that North Korea is looking to strengthen its military presence and fortifications along the border,” says Shreyas Reddy, a correspondent at NK News, based in Seoul. High resolution satellite imagery of a 7km stretch of the border, part of a project to monitor changes, shows at least three sections with barriers erected near the DMZ, covering about 1km near the eastern end of the border. There might be further barrier construction along other stretches of the border, although the exact start date of the construction is unclear due to a lack of prior high resolution imagery. However, these structures were not visible in an image captured in November 2023.
Expert Analysis of New Barriers
Dr. Uk Yang, a military and defense expert at Seoul’s Asan Institute for Policy Studies, says, “This is the first time they've ever built a barrier to separate places from each other.” He explains that in the 1990s, North Korea set up anti tank walls to deter tank advances in case of war, but the recently erected walls, 2 to 3 meters high, do not resemble those anti tank walls. “The shape of the walls suggests they are not just obstacles for tanks, but are intended to divide an area,” adds Dr. Yang, who reviewed the satellite images.
Evidence of Land Clearance
There is also evidence of land clearance within the North Korean side of the DMZ, further raising concerns about the potential implications of these activities.
New Access Road and Increased Activity in the DMZ Revealed by Latest Satellite Imagery
New Access Road at Eastern Boundary
The latest satellite imagery of the eastern end of the boundary shows what appears to be a newly created access road. To draw the precise northern boundary of the DMZ, we have adopted the BBC’s research on border mapping due to slight variations in available maps. However, all versions show the land clearance occurring within the DMZ.
South Korea's Observations and Concerns
An official from South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) recently briefed that the military had identified ongoing activity related to “reinforcement of tactical roads, the laying of mines, and the clearing of wasteland.” There have been previous reports of land being cleared at several other locations inside the North Korean controlled side of the DMZ.
Potential Military and Non Military Uses
“The land clearing could be intended for both military and non military aspects,” says Prof. Kil Joo Ban of Korea University. He explains that it allows for easy establishment of observatory posts for North Korea to monitor South Korean military activities and spot defectors attempting to cross the border.
Violation of Armistice Agreement
Prof. Victor Cha from the Centre for Strategic and International Studies notes, “It is unusual to build structures in the DMZ and may be a violation of the armistice without prior consultation.” The Korean War ended in 1953 with an armistice in which both sides pledged not to "execute any hostile act within, from, or against the demilitarised zone.” However, no final peace settlement was reached.
Shift in North Korea’s Stance on Reunification
While reunification has been the stated goal of North Korean leaders for years, this changed at the start of 2024 when Kim Jong Un announced that his country would no longer pursue that ambition. Some experts called the remarks “unprecedented” and saw a significant policy change when Mr. Kim labeled South Korea as a "principal enemy" earlier this year. Since then, North Korea has started removing symbols representing the unity of the two countries, such as demolishing monuments and erasing references to reunification on government websites.
Implications of New Border Barriers
“North Korea doesn’t really need more barriers to prevent a strike from the South, but by erecting these border barriers, the North is signaling that it doesn’t seek reunification,” says Dr. Ramon Pacheco Pardo of Kings College London. This aligns with Mr. Kim’s broader actions, according to experts.
Increased Tensions and Provocations Expected
“North Korea is not even pretending to want to negotiate with the United States or South Korea, and has rebuffed recent attempts by Japan to engage in talks,” says Dr. Edward Howell of Oxford. With North Korea’s warming relations with Russia, experts suggest that inter Korean provocations may increase this year.