North Korean youth surge in military enlistment amid border tensions
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported that more than 1.4 million young North Koreans have "expressed a strong desire" to join the military amidst tensions at the border with South Korea.
The North Korean agency's propaganda statement claims that throughout the country that "The DPRK is full of the will to annihilate the ROK who violated its sacred sovereignty and security."
"If a war breaks out, the ROK will be wiped off the map. As it wants a war, we are willing to put an end to its existence," emphasises the agency.
Combat readiness of eight brigades. Pyongyang's order
The agency also notes that the willingness of young people to join the ranks of the North Korean army is "an eruption of the hatred and retaliatory spirit of the younger generation", who are ready to punish with weapons those who want to start a war.
The day before, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un accused Seoul of sending drones with propaganda leaflets to North Korea, calling it a military provocation. He demanded "immediate military actions" to protect the country's sovereignty.
North Korea cut off. Roads and tracks blown up
The North Korean military then blew up two sections of roads leading to South Korea. The explosions occurred on North Korean territory along the Gyeongsong and Donghae lines: the first connects the city of Kaesong in the north with South Korean Paju in the west, and the second is in the eastern part of the country.
The South Korean military did not sustain any injuries and responded with fire south of the demarcation line separating the two Koreas. Seoul believes that the actions of North Korea aim to destroy inter-Korean land communication and build defensive structures completely.
The division of Korea into North Korea and the Republic of Korea occurred in 1945 after Japan's defeat in World War II, which had previously occupied the Korean Peninsula. The US and the USSR initially assumed that the division would be temporary and that Korea would soon reunite. However, the Korean War broke out, which formally solidified the division of the Korean Peninsula into two states along the 38th parallel. Formally, the countries remain at war, as a peace treaty has never been signed between them.
Nevertheless, the authorities of North Korea and South Korea have declared for many years that their goal is the reunification of the peninsula. However, in December last year, Kim Jong-Un ultimately abandoned this idea. He stated that a crisis situation persists on the peninsula, getting out of control as a result of "provocative" military steps by the United States and South Korea. The word 'war' has become a realistic reality and not an abstract concept – emphasised the North Korean leader.
