North Korea appears to fortify coastal areas along western border, JCS says

SEOUL, October 13 (AJP) - A series of recent explosions heard along North Korea's western coastal areas appear to be linked to the North's ongoing work to reinforce its border security, military authorities here said on Tuesday.

"Explosions continue to be heard along the western border near Ganghwa Island in the estuary of the Han River," Jang Do-young, a spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), said during a press briefing.

"We believe the North Korean military is reinforcing its coastal security facilities, and we are closely monitoring related movements," he added.

His remarks came a day after Japan's public broadcaster NHK reported that North Korea had been carrying out a series of explosions near Kaesong, apparently as part of its border fortification and demolition work.

A resident of the island, located northwest of Incheon near the inter-Korean border, told the broadcaster that the blasts were unusually loud, saying he had never heard anything like them in more than 60 years of living in the area.

The latest developments come amid North Korea's broader push to fortify its border with South Korea, which began in October 2024 when Pyongyang announced plans to sever roads and railways connecting the two Koreas and reinforce the border with defensive structures.

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