North Korea appears to be building walls near DMZ, satellite images reveal

North Korea has begun construction of what appear to be sections of wall near its border with South Korea, new satellite images show.

Satellite images captured on June 17 and provided to CBS News by Planet Labs PBC show three white structures along the easternmost part of its border. BBC Verify was first to report on the new construction and satellite images.

The images also reveal that land has been cleared for an access road on the North Korean side of the demilitarized zone, or DMZ. There have been reports recently that North Korea has cleared land in other parts of the DMZ as part of a tougher stance toward the South.

Established in 1953, the DMZ is a 150-mile-long and 2.5-mile-wide buffer zone that separates North and South Korea. It was created as part of the Korean Armistice Agreement. Since no peace treaty was ever signed, the two sides are still technically at war.

Dongsei Kim, an assistant professor at the New York Institute of Technology who has studied the DMZ, confirmed to CBS News that the cleared land and new road are within the original DMZ area. However, he said both sides have entered this original area several times over the past 70 years.

Although the exact date construction began is unclear, these structures and roads were not visible in satellite images from November 2023.

The new images come just days after the shooting by South Korean forces. warning shots for the second time this month, against North Korean soldiers who briefly crossed the military demarcation line, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a text message to media.

The South Korean army has said North Korea has stepped up construction activities in frontline border areas, including installing anti-tank barriers, reinforcing roads and laying landmines.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this week signed a strategic partnership agreement in Pyongyang as part of an effort to expand their military and economic cooperation. The agreement included a commitment to “mutual assistance” in the event of “aggression,” according to Russian media.