North Korea is set to activate loudspeakers along its entire border with South Korea in the coming days, with new countermeasures reportedly on high alert, according to Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, as cited by Reuters.
The statement included a warning to Seoul that it would face the “most horrifying and disturbing situation” if it continues what Pyongyang describes as interference in North Korea’s internal affairs.
On Wednesday evening, after visiting fortifications alongside senior military officials, Kim announced that the country would turn on the loudspeakers by the end of October.
She claimed that North Korean tactical units had assumed new positions and accused South Korean troops of conducting warning broadcasts and firing warning shots in multiple locations near the border. South Korea stated that the warning shots were fired as “legitimate and defensive measures.”
Kim warned that North Korean troops would “mercilessly eliminate” South Korean forces if warning shots caused damage within North Korean territory or harmed North Korean personnel.
The South Korean military and the Ministry of Unification in Seoul urged North Korea to return to negotiations to resolve their differences. The military noted that Kim’s statements indicate that measures taken in conjunction with the UN Command to enhance control in the demilitarized zone are proving effective.
In a press conference, the South Korean Ministry of Defense stated that it would take “proportional measures” if North Korea follows through on its threats, although no decisions had yet been made.
Speakers: A Tool Used by Both Koreas
According to Reuters, the new threats from Pyongyang undermine efforts by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung to reduce hostility between the two countries and escalate tensions along the heavily fortified border to their highest level since he took office in June last year.
Both North and South Korea have traditionally used loudspeakers to transmit propaganda across the border. South Korean broadcasts included K-pop music and news, which have long irritated Pyongyang and provoked reciprocal reactions.
The two Koreas are separated by a demilitarized zone established after the end of the Korean War from 1950 to 1953. Starting in 2024, North Korea has fortified its side of the demilitarized zone by installing mines, raising barriers, and erecting fences, attempting to establish what it calls a permanent border with South Korea.
South Korea claims that mines placed by North Korea in fortification efforts within the demilitarized zone caused an explosion last month, resulting in serious injuries to two soldiers. North Korea denies any responsibility, dismissing the incident as a “farce” created by South Korea.
The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Thursday that it would send a letter to the UN Security Council, stating that the explosion was caused by mines placed by North Korea and constitutes a violation of the armistice that ended the Korean War.
Huge Dilemma Following Continued North Korean Threats
Since taking office, Lee has promoted a policy of diplomatic engagement and de-escalation with North Korea, despite Pyongyang’s refusal to resume dialogue and its designation of South Korea as a hostile state.
Last year, his administration stopped South Korean broadcasts through loudspeakers and dismantled fixed speakers at the border, which Seoul described as essential for building trust. Subsequently, North Korea suspended its own broadcasts to the South.
Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University in Seoul, noted that Kim’s latest warnings do not necessarily mean that the loudspeakers will be activated immediately.
However, he stated, they place Lee’s administration in a “huge dilemma,” as it must choose between maintaining a policy of peaceful engagement and controlling North Korea’s aggressive military activities along the border.
