TOKYO: The Japanese government called for calm on Wednesday after the North Korean military blew up parts of inter-Korean roads.

The incident on Tuesday could heighten tensions between the two Koreas, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary AOKI Kazuhiko said in a press conference. “Preventing an escalation is important,” he said.

Aoki also expressed concerns about reports that the Russian military has been deploying North Korean soldiers to the border areas with Ukraine.

Progress in military cooperation between Russia and North Korea is concerning as it is expected to aggravate the war in Ukraine and given its possible impact on regional security, he said.