South Korea's military has warned that it will respond decisively to any further provocations from North Korea, rejecting Pyongyang's accusations that Seoul is responsible for escalating tensions along the heavily fortified inter-Korean border.
According to AFP, the warning was issued on Tuesday, October 20, following remarks by Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, who threatened to strengthen military capabilities near the border and resume propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts directed at South Korea.
In a statement issued on Monday, Kim accused South Korean forces of threatening North Korean personnel through warning shots and loudspeaker broadcasts near the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), which separates the two countries.
"The warmongers of the ROK military are seriously threatening the safety of our service personnel by firing warning shots at them with automatic rifles and large-calibre machine guns," Kim said, according to Reuters.
She claimed that South Korean troops had fired 201 warning shots and conducted 2,870 loudspeaker warnings between August 1 and October 17.
Kim also described the security situation along the border as "very unstable", announcing that Pyongyang was considering additional military measures.
"To cope with the prevailing situation, our military leadership is examining the issues of deploying more tactical strike means along the southern border as a pre-emptive and suppressive measure to deal with contingency, and of resuming loudspeaker broadcasting against the ROK, and considering other necessary and appropriate measures," she stated.
South Korea's Ministry of National Defense rejected the accusations, maintaining that its warning shots and broadcasts were legitimate defensive measures intended to prevent North Korean troops from crossing the Military Demarcation Line.
The ministry warned that any further provocations carried out under the pretext of South Korea's border security operations would face decisive retaliation.
Meanwhile, Chairman of South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Jin Yong-sung, instructed frontline troops to maintain readiness and respond firmly to any violations of the armistice agreement.
"The chairman stated it is unacceptable that North Korea yesterday characterized our legitimate operational measures as a provocation, laying the blame for heightened military tensions on our armed forces," the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
"He ordered troops to respond decisively if the enemy launches further provocations by using our legitimate measures as a pretext," the statement added.
The latest exchange follows a September 21 landmine explosion inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which injured three South Korean military personnel.
Seoul has accused North Korea of violating the armistice agreement, while Pyongyang has rejected responsibility for the deterioration of security conditions along the border.
South Korea's Unification Ministry has also urged North Korea to refrain from further escalation and engage in dialogue aimed at resolving disagreements over the Military Demarcation Line.
The ministry called for the establishment of a communication mechanism to prevent unnecessary military confrontations and facilitate the peaceful management of the border.
Tensions have remained elevated as North Korea continues fortification work along the frontier, including the installation of fences and landmines.
The two Koreas remain technically at war, as the 1950–1953 Korean War ended with an armistice rather than a formal peace treaty.