North Korea is considering deploying additional tactical strike weapons along its southern border and resuming loudspeaker broadcasts against South Korea, Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said in a statement carried by the state-run KCNA news agency.
“The situation along the southern border is currently very unstable“, Kim Yo-jong was quoted as saying by Reuters. She accused the South Korean military of “seriously endangering security” of North Korean soldiers, firing warning shots with automatic weapons and large-caliber machine guns.
She said that between August 1 and October 17, South Korea issued 2,870 loudspeaker warnings and fired 201 warning shots. Seoul has not released any details about its actions in the area in response to the North Korean fortification activities.
“To deal with the situation, our military leadership is considering the possibility of deploying additional tactical strike assets along the southern border as a preventive and deterrent measure in emergencies, as well as resuming loudspeaker broadcasts against the Republic of Korea“, said Kim Yo-jong. She added that “other necessary and appropriate measures” are also being discussed.
Border fortification
Tensions between North and South Korea have increased since Pyongyang began fortifying its border in April 2024. The two countries are separated by a demilitarized zone created after the Korean War ended with an armistice in 1953.
On October 5, the South Korean military reported that North Korea had sent up to 7,000 workers to lay mines and build fences along the border since the beginning of the year. About 50 cases of crossing the demarcation line have been recorded.
According to Seoul, North Korean mines caused an explosion in the border area in September, seriously injuring two North Korean soldiers. South Korea has called on Pyongyang to halt the fortification activities.
Lim Il-cheol, a professor at the Institute of Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University in Seoul, said that the South Korean military is monitoring the fortification work with warning shots and loudspeaker announcements. According to him, Pyongyang may fear that these actions will lead to additional tension or a military conflict along the border.
The South Korean Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It was not reported whether North Korea had made a final decision to deploy new weapons or to resume broadcasting.
Sources: bta.bg, kelo.com