The announcement signals a further fortification of the heavily militarised border separating North and South since the Korean Peninsula was divided by war in the 1950s.
The “substantial military step” was reported by state media outlet KCNA, which carried a statement by the General Staff of the Korean People’s Army citing war drills in South Korea and frequent visits by US strategic nuclear assets as the reason.
He used his speech at the Kim Jong-un University of National Defence to threaten that Pyongyang “will without hesitation use all its attack capabilities against its enemies” if they attempt to use armed forces” against North Korea.
“The use of nuclear weapons is not ruled out in this case,” he added.
South Korean military sources indicated on Tuesday that North Korea has been seen building what appears to be a nuclear-powered submarine, which Kim has repeatedly declared as a long-term ambition.
In recent days, Kim has also overseen artillery drills simulating an attack on an enemy island, reported NK News.
The military exercise stoked increasing concern that Pyongyang may attempt to change its definition of the maritime boundary between North and South islands off the west coast of the Peninsula, raising the possibility of a clash.
Deepening relations between North Korea and Russia have also alarmed the West.
Kim described Vladimir Putin as his “closest comrade” this week in a message to mark the Russian president’s 72^(nd) birthday and praised ties between their two countries as “invincible and eternal.”
Over the past year, the two leaders have pledged to strengthen their military cooperation and to help each other in the event of “aggression” against either country.
On Tuesday, Kim Yong-hyun, the South Korean defence minister, told the country’s parliament that North Korea was likely also sending its soldiers to fight and die in Ukraine.
“As Russia and North Korea have signed a mutual treaty akin to a military alliance, the possibility of such a deployment is highly likely,” he said.
“The relations between Russia and North Korea are evolving to be almost as close as a military alliance.”
Six North Korean soldiers were killed in early October on the Russian front line near the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainian media reported.
monkeywithgun on
I’m sure that will help feed their people…
Serious_Journalist14 on
This is what dictatorships do instead of helping their poor population.
Maguire_018 on
That will show the North Korean people
awesome_Hetheranna on
The conflicts in the world will gradually increase as we confront China.
Pandanutiy on
Literally a jail
UncleDuude on
They have nothing anyone wants, what is the upside to taking NK?
MxJamesC on
Pretty sure you can’t get the 9.45 express to Pyongyang…
8 Comments
From The Telegraph:
North Korea’s military on Wednesday said it would completely sever road and railway connections to South Korea as a “self-defensive measure” in the [latest sign of deteriorating relations](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/10/04/north-korean-soldiers-break-rocks-troops-bodies/) between the two countries.
The announcement signals a further fortification of the heavily militarised border separating North and South since the Korean Peninsula was divided by war in the 1950s.
North Korea had already been installing more landmines and barriers and creating wasteland next to the demarcation line for months, while simultaneously floating [hundreds of balloons carrying trash into South Korea](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/05/29/north-korea-sends-balloons-carrying-animal-faeces-south/) and across the skies of the capital, Seoul.
The “substantial military step” was reported by state media outlet KCNA, which carried a statement by the General Staff of the Korean People’s Army citing war drills in South Korea and frequent visits by US strategic nuclear assets as the reason.
In a further escalation of hostilities, Kim Jong-un, North Korea’s authoritarian leader, warned in a speech on Monday that he could [use nuclear weapons](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/09/13/north-korea-reveals-uranium-enrichment-facility/) in potential conflicts with South Korea and the US.
He used his speech at the Kim Jong-un University of National Defence to threaten that Pyongyang “will without hesitation use all its attack capabilities against its enemies” if they attempt to use armed forces” against North Korea.
“The use of nuclear weapons is not ruled out in this case,” he added.
South Korean military sources indicated on Tuesday that North Korea has been seen building what appears to be a nuclear-powered submarine, which Kim has repeatedly declared as a long-term ambition.
In recent days, Kim has also overseen artillery drills simulating an attack on an enemy island, reported NK News.
The military exercise stoked increasing concern that Pyongyang may attempt to change its definition of the maritime boundary between North and South islands off the west coast of the Peninsula, raising the possibility of a clash.
Deepening relations between North Korea and Russia have also alarmed the West.
Kim described Vladimir Putin as his “closest comrade” this week in a message to mark the Russian president’s 72^(nd) birthday and praised ties between their two countries as “invincible and eternal.”
Over the past year, the two leaders have pledged to strengthen their military cooperation and to help each other in the event of “aggression” against either country.
# North Korean soldiers ‘fighting in Ukraine’
Pyongyang has also been accused of [providing Moscow with millions of artillery shells](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/06/20/russia-north-korea-military-assistance-pact-war/), as well as ballistic missiles, to prop up its war efforts against Ukraine – reportedly in exchange for economic and technological assistance with its own internationally sanctioned weapons programme.
On Tuesday, Kim Yong-hyun, the South Korean defence minister, told the country’s parliament that North Korea was likely also sending its soldiers to fight and die in Ukraine.
“As Russia and North Korea have signed a mutual treaty akin to a military alliance, the possibility of such a deployment is highly likely,” he said.
“The relations between Russia and North Korea are evolving to be almost as close as a military alliance.”
Six North Korean soldiers were killed in early October on the Russian front line near the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine, the Ukrainian media reported.
I’m sure that will help feed their people…
This is what dictatorships do instead of helping their poor population.
That will show the North Korean people
The conflicts in the world will gradually increase as we confront China.
Literally a jail
They have nothing anyone wants, what is the upside to taking NK?
Pretty sure you can’t get the 9.45 express to Pyongyang…