The BBC reported on the 21st that North Korea has contracted large-scale barriers in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
According to BBC, the analysis of recent satellite images revealed this fact, which could potentially violate the armistice agreement. The analysis of satellite images indicated that the structure in question did not exist as of November last year. It appears to have been constructed since then.
Shreyas Reddy, a correspondent for NK News, a North Korean news specialist media based in Seoul, said, “It seems that North Korea has installed structures along the border to strengthen military deployments and fortifications.”
Dr. Yang Uk, a researcher at the Asan Policy Institute, said, “In the 1990s, North Korea built anti-tank barriers to prevent tank advances in case of war. However, the recent walls do not look like anti-tank barriers,” adding, “It seems they are not obstacles but rather intended to divide the area.”
Professor Ban Kil Joo of the Department of International Security at Korea University suggested, “North Korea may have installed surveillance posts to monitor South Korea’s military activities and find defectors.”
Victor Cha, Senior Vice President in charge of Asia and Korea at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said, “Building structures in the DMZ is unusual, and without prior consultation, it would constitute a violation of the armistice agreement.”
Meanwhile, the BBC announced that it had requested high-resolution satellite images of a 4.35-mile section of the border region from relevant agencies to examine the changes North Korea is making in the area.