North Korea said its military had placed new firepower units along the border with South Korea, which defended warning shots and broadcasts as measures to stop northern troops from crossing.
South Korea’s military said Oct. 20 that it uses loudspeakers and warning shots to prevent North Korean soldiers from crossing the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) and to send back those who do. It accused Pyongyang of trying to shift responsibility for the rise in tensions. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Jin Yong-sung directed forces to respond firmly if North Korea used Seoul’s actions as grounds for aggression.
The dispute follows an explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that South Korea blamed on North Korean mines. Pyongyang denied responsibility.
In a statement carried by North Korean state media Wednesday, Kim Yo Jong, sister of leader Kim Jong Un, said military leaders wanted their adversaries to know the new units were in firing positions. She said Kim had ordered stronger defenses along the frontier.
The Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) also reported that Marshal Pak Jong Chon inspected key border positions. Pak called on troops to build up firepower and warned of military action if opposing forces threatened North Korean personnel.
Korea Institute for Military Affairs senior researcher Hong Sung-pyo told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the reported movement warranted attention. He described modest posts for troops carrying personal weapons and said moving them forward appeared to mark an operational deployment.
Both countries have used loudspeakers at the border.
Kim Yo Jong also raised the possibility of placing additional tactical strike assets near the border. She said North Korean loudspeakers would begin operating before October ends, as detailed in Pyongyang’s earlier border announcement.
