Kim Yo-jong warns of unstable Korean border situation

Seoul Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, has described the situation along the border with South Korea as “very unstable” and said Pyongyang is considering resuming loudspeaker broadcasts and deploying additional tactical strike capabilities. Kim blamed the South Korean military for increasing tensions through what she described as reckless actions along the border. Her remarks followed a landmine explosion last month that severely injured two South Korean soldiers. Pyongyang has repeatedly denied responsibility for the incident and rejected Seoul’s findings that landmines deliberately planted by North Korea caused the blast. Kim accused the South Korean military of threatening North Korean soldiers and said its actions had crossed a red line. She dismissed South Korea’s account of the explosion as a fabricated incident. According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim claimed that South Korea had conducted 2,870 rounds of loudspeaker broadcasts and fired 201 warning shots between August 1 and October 17. She also criticised the government of South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, accusing it of pursuing policies that had increased tensions despite its stated efforts to promote reconciliation and peace between the two countries. Kim said the North Korean military was reviewing measures to respond to the situation, including the possible deployment of additional tactical strike capabilities along the border and the resumption of loudspeaker broadcasts. She did not provide further details about the other measures under consideration. In a warning directed at Seoul, she said South Korea would regret actions that Pyongyang considers threats to its border security. The latest remarks come amid continuing tensions between the two neighbours, which remain technically at war because the 1950–53 Korean War ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. Last year, South Korea suspended its border loudspeaker broadcasts as part of Lee’s efforts to rebuild trust between the two countries. North Korea subsequently halted its own broadcasts in response. Kim’s latest statement raises fresh concerns about a possible resumption of psychological warfare and further escalation along the heavily militarised border.