North Korea has announced plans to resume propaganda broadcasts aimed at South Korea along their heavily fortified border, escalating psychological warfare amid rising tensions following recent land mine explosions that injured South Korean soldiers. The announcement was made by Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and regarded as one of the country’s top officials, during an October 21 visit to frontline areas near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
Accompanied by Marshal Pak Jong Chon, a senior military figure, Kim Yo Jong inspected ongoing reinforcement efforts along the border, which include the installation of mines, barbed wire fences, antitank barriers, and other fortifications. She described these efforts as a “sacred and great undertaking” aligned with her brother’s policy of severing ties with South Korea. This hardline posture comes amid a broader diplomatic stalemate involving Washington.
Kim stated that North Korea’s “tactical hunting teams” have assumed new positions and that loudspeaker broadcasts for psychological operations against the Republic of Korea would be reactivated by the end of October. She also issued a warning that any harm to North Korean territorial security or personnel resulting from South Korean actions, including warning shots fired to deter North Korean fortification work, would be met with uncompromising retaliation. South Korea maintains that its warning shots are intended solely to compel North Korean soldiers engaged in fortification activities to retreat across the border.
On September 21, three South Korean front-line soldiers were wounded by land mines planted near the border. The South Korean military, supported by an inspection from the U.S.-led United Nations Command, formally blamed North Korea for the explosions and called for an apology and clearance of remaining mines. North Korea denied responsibility and cautioned that it would respond strongly to provocations.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, Jin Yong-Sung, condemned Kim Yo Jong’s threats as “intolerable” and directed the military to prepare for firm responses to any North Korean provocations.
The border between the two Koreas remains one of the most heavily armed in the world. Seoul’s military reports that North Korean personnel have crossed the Military Demarcation Line approximately 50 times this year while conducting fortification work, prompting warning shots and broadcasts in response. North Korea disputes these claims, labeling them as fabricated and accusing South Korea of escalating provocations beyond acceptable limits since the mine incident.
Historically, both Koreas have utilized loudspeaker broadcasts as psychological warfare tools during periods of heightened tension. South Korea’s current administration, led by President Lee Jae Myung, had previously suspended their broadcasts upon taking office last year in an effort to improve inter-Korean relations, an initiative that led to North Korea ceasing its own broadcasts. The decision to resume these operations marks a clear deterioration in joint efforts to reduce tensions along the border.