North Korea announced plans to resume broadcasting loudspeaker messages along its border with South Korea, following reports of new troop deployments in strategic positions. The announcement came from Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, during an inspection of border defenses on Wednesday.
Kim Yo Jong stated that new “tactical hunting teams” had been deployed and that loudspeakers intended for psychological warfare against the Republic of Korea (ROK) would be fully operational along the entire border by the end of October. The move escalates existing tensions between the two Koreas, which have sharply increased since South Korea attributed a recent explosion within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) to landmines laid by North Korea—a claim Pyongyang has denied.
The inspection was conducted alongside Marshal Pak Jong Chon, a senior military official. Kim Yo Jong emphasized the necessity of making the South Korean government aware that North Korea’s newly positioned firepower units were prepared for action. Pak echoed this sentiment, urging troops to maintain a high state of readiness and warning that any provocative acts threatening the safety of North Korean personnel would be met with decisive and overwhelming military responses.
"If the enemy troops make a provocation actually threatening the safety of our service personnel, the border forces of North Korea must take very proficient, specialized and overwhelming military action,” Pak said, according to a statement released by the state Korean Central News Agency.
South Korea’s military responded on Tuesday by reaffirming its commitment to a “firm” retaliation against any future provocations by North Korea. Analysts, including Hong Sung-pyo of the Korea Institute for Military Affairs, have cautioned that the reported troop movements and heightened readiness signals should be taken seriously, given the volatile situation in the region.
This latest development marks a continuation of the recent escalation in hostilities in and around the DMZ, a heavily fortified area that has remained a flashpoint in inter-Korean relations for decades. The resumption of loudspeaker broadcasts—psychological warfare tactics last used several years ago—reflects North Korea’s intent to apply pressure on the South amid ongoing security concerns.