N Korea threatens to activate border loudspeakers, tensions with Seoul rise

Kim Yo Jong warns of retaliation over South Korean military activity, complicating President Lee Jae Myung’s efforts to reduce tensions and restore dialogue.

North Korea has threatened to place propaganda loudspeakers on standby along its entire border with South Korea within days, raising concerns about renewed confrontation along the heavily militarised frontier despite Seoul’s efforts to ease bilateral tensions.

Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said on Thursday that Pyongyang was preparing the equipment and had placed unspecified countermeasures on alert. She warned that South Korea could face what she described as a “horrible and distressing situation” if it continued what North Korea considers interference in its internal affairs.

According to Reuters, Kim made the remarks after visiting border fortification sites with senior military officials on Wednesday. She said North Korean tactical units had moved to new positions and accused South Korean troops of conducting warning broadcasts and firing warning shots at multiple locations near the border.

South Korea described its warning shots as legitimate defensive measures. Its military and Unification Ministry urged Pyongyang to resume dialogue to resolve border disputes and prevent an accidental clash. Seoul’s defence ministry said it would take proportionate action if North Korea acted on its threats, although no specific response had been decided.

Kim also warned that North Korean forces would retaliate if South Korean warning fire caused harm to North Korean territory or personnel.

The latest warning complicates South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s efforts to reduce hostility since taking office in June 2025. His administration halted broadcasts through South Korean border loudspeakers and dismantled fixed installations last year as confidence-building measures. North Korea subsequently suspended its own loudspeaker broadcasts towards the South.

The two countries have historically used loudspeakers to transmit propaganda across the border. South Korean broadcasts have included news and K-pop music, content that Pyongyang has long opposed.

Tensions have also increased as North Korea reinforces its side of the demilitarised zone with mines, barriers and fencing. Pyongyang has described its actions as efforts to establish a permanent border with South Korea.

Seoul has blamed North Korean mines planted during the fortification work for an explosion last month that seriously injured two South Korean soldiers. North Korea has denied responsibility and described the allegation as fabricated.

The border remains one of the most sensitive military flashpoints on the Korean Peninsula. The 1950–53 Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty, leaving the two sides technically without a formal peace settlement.

The threatened return of loudspeaker operations would reverse a confidence-building measure adopted by Seoul and could trigger a reciprocal response. Such broadcasts have historically served as a low-level but politically sensitive instrument of inter-Korean confrontation.

The immediate concern is not only the resumption of propaganda broadcasts but the possibility that military movements, warning shots or disputed border incidents could produce an unintended escalation. Kim’s warning indicates that Pyongyang is presenting potential harm to its territory or personnel as a trigger for retaliation.

However, the announcement does not confirm that the loudspeakers have already been activated. Reuters quoted Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University, as saying the warning did not necessarily mean immediate activation was imminent.

For Lee’s administration, the challenge is to maintain its stated preference for engagement while responding to developments it considers a threat to South Korean security. A response perceived as too weak could invite domestic criticism, while reciprocal military or propaganda measures could further narrow the space for dialogue.

The next steps by both governments will determine whether the warning remains a coercive signal or develops into a renewed cycle of confrontation. For now, North Korea’s announcement represents a threat of escalation, rather than confirmation that a new round of loudspeaker broadcasts has begun.

Sources: Reuters — North Korea’s Kim Yo Jong warns South Korea, says border loudspeakers to be ready within days; Reuters — North Korea to activate anti-South loudspeakers along border; Reuters — North Korea warns of stronger action toward South Korea over mine blast accusations; The Star — North Korea’s Kim Yo Jong warns South Korea, says border loudspeakers to be ready within days.