Kim Jong Un, who built a huge camp... Will it be the "second Berlin Wall?" [Y transcript]

■ Host: Cho Jin-hyuk Anchor
■ Telephone connection: Senior Researcher at Hongmin Unification Research Institute

* The text below may differ from the actual broadcast content, so please check the broadcast for more accurate information. Please specify [YTN News UP] when quoting.

◇ Anchor> The North Korean General Staff said yesterday that it would completely cut off the means of connecting land to South Korea, including roads and railways. The inter-Korean border is 254 kilometers long, so how specifically will it be separated?

◆Hongmin> Since January of this year, North Korea has already taken steps to completely cut off parts related to North Korea, North Korea, and Russia, especially railways and roads, starting with the restoration of GPs at the front line of the DMZ in 2024. The existing railroad or road has been completely cut off and landmines have been laid to make it impossible to enter. On top of that, we even installed a barrier. So, installing a barrier means that it will completely prevent it from passing by. It means that they have officially confirmed the blocking work that they have been doing without announcement. The fortification that North Korea expressed here means that it will keep the actual military or expand the barrier higher to make it a permanent barrier.

◇Anchor> You just mentioned that it is a permanent barrier, but there is also a saying that if a fortress is built as North Korea claims, this will become the second Berlin Wall, what do you think?

◆Hongmin> It is difficult to rule out that possibility. It's very long, but once you first block the main land passageway and build the barrier there first, and then raise the barrier by fortifying it more, it's very likely that you'll gradually expand it to other areas and block most areas of the border in that way.

Of course, if the height is very severe depending on the terrain conditions, there may be points where it is difficult to consistently install these barriers, but in general, if you have this will, there is a high possibility that such facilities will be equipped to some extent. This could lead to a state in which not only private access but also all access is completely blocked, and in particular, North Korean defectors may find it difficult to cross the border while being completely blocked.

◇Anchor> As you pointed out earlier, North Korea has continued to cut off the two Koreas since January this year by laying landmines and building barriers, but the territorial separation measures have only begun. Can you also point out the reason and background for this announcement?

◆Hongmin> North Korea's justification for the announcement of the General Staff yesterday is that the U.S. and South Korea continue to practice aggression in their border areas, the U.S. military continues to deploy strategic assets, and calls for an end to the regime. I see this as a crisis that is difficult to overlook. And he tells me the background that he thinks it's a serious situation. For him, they have no choice but to build a barrier to deter war and then to protect their safety. That's how I explained it. In the end, it should be seen that their intentions are like this. In any case, the crisis is all coming from Korea and the United States by shifting some kind of responsibility to us, Korea and the United States. So, because the crisis is so serious, they have no choice but to completely block it by building a barrier in order to protect their safety.

That's how you use this logic. So they're actually claiming and actually trying to realize the two-state theory of North and South Korea based on various political intentions, the part of increasing deterrence using tactical nuclear weapons, the part of having arms talks. I think it can be seen that we are actually looking for a justification by putting the responsibility on the threat of the South Korea-U.S. side.



Excerpted from the conversation: Lee Sun, editor of the digital news team

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