North Korea Blows up Parts of Inter-Korean Road on Its Side of Border, Seoul Says

North Korean border county of Kaepoong is seen from South Korea's Odusan Unification Observatory in Paju on October 15, 2024. (AFP)
North Korean border county of Kaepoong is seen from South Korea's Odusan Unification Observatory in Paju on October 15, 2024. (AFP)
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North Korea Blows up Parts of Inter-Korean Road on Its Side of Border, Seoul Says

North Korean border county of Kaepoong is seen from South Korea's Odusan Unification Observatory in Paju on October 15, 2024. (AFP)
North Korean border county of Kaepoong is seen from South Korea's Odusan Unification Observatory in Paju on October 15, 2024. (AFP)

North Korea has blown up sections of an inter-Korean road on its side of the heavily militarized border between the two Koreas, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Tuesday.

At around midday, some parts of the road north of the military demarcation line dividing the countries were blown up, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a message sent to media.

South Korea's military had ramped up surveillance and its readiness in response, it said. Seoul had warned on Monday that Pyongyang was getting ready to blow up the roads.

Tensions on the Korean peninsula have been increasing amid an escalating war of words after the North accused its rival of sending drones over the country's capital Pyongyang.

North Korea on Friday said the drones had scattered a "huge number" of anti-North leaflets over the city, in what it called political and military provocation that could lead to armed conflict.

A spokesman for the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff declined on Monday to answer questions over whether the South Korean military or civilians had flown the alleged drones.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un had overseen on Monday a meeting with defense and security officials to discuss how to respond to the "enemy's serious provocation that violated the sovereignty of the DPRK", state media KCNA reported. DPRK is short for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name.



Russia, China Bolster Defense Ties at ‘Substantive’ Talks

Andrei Belousov, Russia's Defense Minister, attends a meeting with Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of China's Central Military Commission, in Beijing, China, in this still image taken from video released on October 15, 2024. (Russian Defense Ministry/Handout via Reuters)
Andrei Belousov, Russia's Defense Minister, attends a meeting with Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of China's Central Military Commission, in Beijing, China, in this still image taken from video released on October 15, 2024. (Russian Defense Ministry/Handout via Reuters)
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Russia, China Bolster Defense Ties at ‘Substantive’ Talks

Andrei Belousov, Russia's Defense Minister, attends a meeting with Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of China's Central Military Commission, in Beijing, China, in this still image taken from video released on October 15, 2024. (Russian Defense Ministry/Handout via Reuters)
Andrei Belousov, Russia's Defense Minister, attends a meeting with Zhang Youxia, Vice Chairman of China's Central Military Commission, in Beijing, China, in this still image taken from video released on October 15, 2024. (Russian Defense Ministry/Handout via Reuters)

Russia and China held "substantive" defense and military talks to bolster ties, Russia's defense minister said on Tuesday, as Moscow and Beijing cement a "no limits" partnership and step up criticism of US efforts to extend its influence in Asia.

"The military departments of Russia and China are united in their assessments of global processes, and they have a common understanding of what needs to be done in the current situation," a post on the Russian defense ministry's Telegram messaging app cited Defense Minister Andrei Belousov as saying.

Belousov said he met with China's central military commission vice chairman, Zhang Youxia for "very substantive" talks.

China's Defense Ministry said after the meeting that both sides hope to deepen and expand military relations and maintain high-level exchanges.

Belousov's visit to Beijing took place as China's military vowed to take further action against Taiwan if needed after staging a day of war games it said were a warning to "separatist acts" and which drew condemnation from the Taiwanese and US governments.

China and Russia declared a "no limits" partnership in February 2022 when President Vladimir Putin visited Beijing less than three weeks before his forces launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, triggering the deadliest land war in Europe since World War Two.

In May this year, Putin and China's Xi Jinping pledged a "new era" of partnership between the two most powerful rivals of the United States, which they cast as an aggressive Cold War hegemon sowing chaos across the world.

Putin and Xi also agreed to deepen their "strategic partnership", Belousov said, without providing details, adding he is confident that "fruitful work and the adoption of significant, weighty decisions are ahead."

Russia said last week it was standing alongside China on Asian issues, including the criticism of the US drive to extend its influence and "deliberate attempts" to inflame the situation around Taiwan.

The US says China is supporting Russia's war effort in Ukraine by supplying so-called dual use goods, including microelectronics, that can help it build weapons. China says it has not provided weaponry to any party, and that normal trade with Russia should not be interrupted or restricted.