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North informs UN Command it will resume military border operations, stays silent on repatriating citizens

Published: 30 Jun. 2025, 16:47 Updated: 01 Jul. 2025, 13:37

North Korean soldiers work in the inter-Korea border area in the demilitarized one with large troop deployments on June 18, 2024. [JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF]

North Korea notified the United Nations Command last week that it would resume military work along the heavily fortified border, eight months after it last sent a message before blowing up inter-Korean roads, according to South Korean authorities on Monday.

At the same time, Pyongyang ignored questions about repatriating its citizens, fueling speculation it is testing the new administrations in Seoul and Washington through carefully calibrated communication.

A cautious welcome in Seoul

South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense confirmed Monday that the North Korean military had sent a notice to the UN Command on Wednesday, saying it would resume existing operations inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ).

“This communication from the North could carry meaningful signals related to easing tensions between the two Koreas, but it’s too early to make any assumptions,” the Defense Ministry said. “Our military will continue efforts to reduce tensions and prevent accidental clashes.”

A ministry official later told reporters, “The very fact that North Korea sent a message — regardless of its content — is significant in itself.”

The remarks suggest a subtle shift in Seoul’s interpretation. Last October, Pyongyang notified the UN Command shortly before physically destroying inter-Korean roads along the east and west coasts.

At that time, South Korean officials refused to disclose details, simply saying, “We cannot reveal specifics.”

The Lee Jae Myung administration has recently outlined a policy to restore the 2018 military tension-reduction agreement, signaling a broader conciliatory approach.

Seoul also suspended its anti-North Korea loudspeaker broadcasts first, claiming it persuaded Pyongyang to halt its own propaganda loudspeakers in return.

The UN Command, which oversees the armistice, said it would not comment on the specific content but called North Korea’s advance notice “useful" in reducing risks of misunderstanding and miscalculation.

North Korean soldiers install barbed wire fences near the inter-Korean border on Dec. 23, 2024. [JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF]

Pyongyang still reinforcing the front

Despite the outreach, South Korean military officials stressed that the notification primarily concerned continued defensive work.

Experts warn against reading the latest communication as a straightforward peace overture. The fact that Pyongyang’s notice was about resuming land mine installations and other hostile measures underscores that it continues to reinforce the border.

They suggest Pyongyang is maintaining its strategy of severing ties with Seoul while using low-level communications to gauge how South Korea and the United States might respond before deciding on next steps.

Since early last year, under regime leader Kim Jong-un’s directive to sever ties with the South, North Korea has been planting land mines, erecting barbed-wire fences and constructing tactical roads along the military demarcation line.

The regime also continues to build anti-tank barriers along key routes on the western, central and eastern fronts. Its message to the UN signals it will press ahead with these fortifications.

This activity had slowed over the winter, partly due to winter training mobilizations, but recently picked up again.

After sending the UN Command its latest notice, the North has deployed about 1,000 people daily to border operations, according to Seoul’s assessment. That’s down from the thousands to tens of thousands previously engaged, but officials still described it as a notable restart.

A South Korean Coast Guard vessel tows a small North Korean wooden boat adrift in the Yellow Sea back toward the North in in February 2011. At the time, 31 North Korean passengers aboard the fishing boat had drifted into South Korean waters near Yeonpyeong Island. Four chose to defect to the South, while the remaining 27 returned to the North. [YONHAP]

No mention of drifters’ return

The notice notably did not address the fate of six North Korean nationals — two who drifted into the Yellow Sea and four into the East Sea — who have expressed a desire to return home.

Since April, the UN Command has repeatedly conveyed its intentions to the North, which has yet to respond.

Some officials see this silence as an indication that Pyongyang simply does not want the nationals back.

Analysts say North Korea’s latest moves may aim less at reopening dialogue with Seoul and more at gauging reactions from the Donald Trump administration. Pyongyang has rejected letters from U.S. President Donald Trump but refrained from criticizing him directly, suggesting it still sees value in keeping lines to Washington open.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY CHUNG YEONG-GYO, LEE KEUN-PYUNG, LEE YU-JUNG [[email protected]]