(LEAD) S. Korea condemns N. Korea's detonation of inter-Korean roads as 'very abnormal' act

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SEOUL, Oct. 15 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's unification ministry on Tuesday "strongly" condemned North Korea's blowing up of parts of inter-Korean roads as a clear violation of an inter-Korean agreement and a "very abnormal" act.

The ministry issued the statement after North Korea detonated parts of the Gyeongui and Donghae roads north of the inter-Korean border around noon on Tuesday. In August, the North cut off the Gyeongui and Donghae railways.

The unification ministry deplored North Korea's repetition of such a "regressive" act, citing the North's unilateral move in 2020 to blow up the joint liaison office in North Korea's border city of Kaesong.

"North Korea's explosion of the northern part of the Gyeongui and Donghae roads is a clear violation of an inter-Korean agreement and a very abnormal act. We strongly condemn the North's move," it said.

The two Koreas had roads and railways connected to each other -- along the Gyeongui Line, which connects the South's western border city of Paju to the North's Kaesong, and the Donghae Line, along the east coast.

The ministry said that the project to connect the roads and railways involved South Korea's loans worth US$133 million as it provided construction equipment in the form of loans at the request of the North.

"North Korea still has an obligation to repay the debt," the ministry said. "All responsibilities related to the explosion of the inter-Korean land routes lie on North Korea."

Last week, North Korea vowed to cut off all roads and railways connected to South Korea and build front-line defense structures, as it seeks to "completely separate" North Korea's territory from that of South Korea, which Pyongyang called the "primary hostile state and invariable principal enemy."

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