North Korea's Kim Yo-jong lashes out at Seoul as analysts see quiet border push

김여정 서울 맹비난, 전문가 "북, 조용히 국경 요새화 마무리 의도"

On inter-Korean tensions.
Seoul and Pyongyang remain engaged in a war of words following the regime's earlier threat of REACTIVATING loudspeakers along the border.
Our Unification Ministry Correspondent Kim Do-yeon has the latest.

North Korea's Kim Yo-jong has lashed out at a South Korean presidential adviser, in yet another harsh message to Seoul.
In a statement early on Thursday, she told Kim Byung-joo to shut his mouth, after he demanded an apology over her loudspeaker warning.
She said new response means are on standby along the entire border, and loudspeakers will be ready within days.
Kim insisted the North is not provoking, only responding, as it builds on land where it exercises sovereignty.
Seoul's Defense Ministry says that if the North starts using loudspeakers, it should face proportional measures.
But it says nothing has been decided.
Since North Korean landmines exploded in September injuring South Korean troops, the Joint Chiefs of Staff says its DMZ operations, including mine clearance, are working.

"The fact that North Korea is reacting through statements like this is itself what we take as a sign that our operations are effective, and we will continue to carry out justified and appropriate measures."

Experts also note that the repeated messages and threats come as the North wants to quietly finish fortifying the border.
Kim's inspection of the site and her statements were not reported in North Korea's domestic media.
The reason for that is to stop unrest from spreading among soldiers and their families.

"North Korea's aim is to quietly finish this border fortification work and, once it is complete, to establish its two hostile states. But the South's warning broadcasts and warning shots have left North Korean soldiers feeling a strong sense of crisis."

Yang says the statement is also an indirect request for Seoul to show restraint.
Notably, Kim says that once the border is fortified, the risk of clashes will fall markedly and many complicated problems will be resolved.
Meanwhile, Seoul is also using multiple channels to respond against North's mine provocation.
The Foreign Ministry said on Thursday it plans to send a letter to the United Nations, laying out how the North has violated the 1953 ceasefire agreement, and calling for an apology as well as dialogue to reduce tension between the two sides.
Kim Do-yeon, Arirang News.

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2026-10-22, 17:00 (KST)