North Korea plans to restart border loudspeaker broadcasts this month, and Marshal Pak Jong Chon warned troops to respond militarily if their safety is threatened, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.
Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said speakers directed at the South would operate before October ends. She also claimed new firepower units had taken firing positions.
Pak said North Korean border forces should take military action if an enemy provocation actually threatens their personnel.
Seoul has defended its border broadcasts and warning shots as steps to prevent North Korean soldiers from crossing the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) and turn back those who do. On Oct. 20, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung ordered a firm response if Pyongyang used Seoul’s measures as a pretext for aggression.
The exchange comes amid a dispute over a Sept. 21 explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that wounded three South Korean soldiers. South Korea blamed the explosion on a North Korean mine. Pyongyang denied responsibility.
Both sides have used loudspeakers before. South Korea resumed border broadcasts in 2024 after a six-year pause, following North Korea’s dispatch of trash-carrying balloons south. Kim said the North’s speakers would be operating before the end of October.
