North Korea has started building an apparent wall near its border with South Korea, according to new satellite images reported by multiple media outlets.
Satellite images from June 17 showed three white structures along the eastern part of the North Korean border, according to a BBC Verify analysis. According to the BBC, a piece of land within the demilitarized zone (DMZ) also appeared to have been cleared.
The 150-mile DMZ serves as a buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea, with a range of troops deployed in both countries.
North Korean military members have carried out “unexplained activities” between the DMZ and the military demarcation line that divides the peninsula, South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported, citing an unidentified military source.
The activities included building walls, digging soil and building roads, although it was not clear whether these activities indicated an intention to build a long wall or set up defensive structures at certain points, the source told Yonhap .
It comes days after a group of North Korean soldiers engaged in construction work crossed the military demarcation line. South Korea sent out an alert and fired warning shots, prompting the soldiers to withdraw.
The Associated Press reported last week that North Korea’s construction could make it more difficult for North Korean citizens to move south.
Tensions between the two countries continue to persist, and earlier this month North Korea sent hundreds of balloons containing waste to several South Korean provinces, including parts of Seoul.
In response, South Korea played Korean pop music on its speakers and anti-Pyongyang propaganda, in what it promised would be an “unbearable” retaliation for the balloons.
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