North Korea has warned South Korea that it is preparing new countermeasures along their shared border, raising fears of renewed military tensions and a return to propaganda broadcasts between the two countries.
Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said anti-South Korean loudspeakers would be placed on standby along the entire border within days. She also warned that Pyongyang could respond forcefully if South Korean warning shots caused actual harm to North Korean territory or military personnel.
The announcement followed Kim’s inspection of border fortification sites alongside senior military official Pak Jong-chon. North Korea said its forces were strengthening positions along the frontier as work continued to reinforce the heavily fortified border.
Kim accused South Korean forces of provoking tensions through warning broadcasts and gunfire near the Military Demarcation Line, which separates the two countries’ forces. She described the planned loudspeaker campaign as a response to what Pyongyang considers hostile actions by Seoul.
South Korea, however, has maintained that its warning shots were defensive measures intended to make North Korean troops withdraw after they crossed the Military Demarcation Line during border construction work. The two sides disagree over the circumstances surrounding these incidents.
Seoul has also warned that it would respond proportionately if North Korea resumes its propaganda broadcasts. South Korean officials have urged Pyongyang to stop activities that could increase the risk of a border confrontation.
The proposed loudspeaker campaign could reverse efforts by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to reduce tensions after taking office in June 2025. His administration halted broadcasts directed at North Korea, and South Korea later dismantled its fixed loudspeakers.
The North’s planned move would revive a form of psychological warfare that has previously intensified hostility between the neighbours. Both countries have used loudspeakers to broadcast political messages, news and other content across the border.
Tensions have risen further as North Korea continues installing mines, fences and anti-tank barriers along the frontier. South Korea has repeatedly accused North Korean troops of crossing the Military Demarcation Line during the fortification work, claims that Pyongyang disputes.
The situation has also been complicated by a landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone in September that injured three South Korean soldiers. Seoul and the United Nations Command attributed the blast to North Korean mines, while Pyongyang denied responsibility.
Although North Korea has announced plans to put its loudspeakers on standby within days and begin operating them before the end of October, the announcement does not mean that broadcasts have already resumed along the entire border.
With both governments maintaining firm positions, the latest warnings have added pressure to efforts to prevent further escalation. Whether the loudspeakers are activated, and how Seoul responds, could influence the next phase of relations between the two Koreas.
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