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North Korea threatens border weapons and propaganda broadcasts

North Korea has threatened to deploy additional tactical weapons and restart loudspeaker broadcasts along its border with South Korea, while Seoul vows a stern response.

21 October 2026Tagblick Newsdesk

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Archive photo: North Korea threatens border weapons and propaganda broadcasts — Archive photoPhoto: Unknown author Unknown author · Wikimedia Commons · CC0

North Korea has threatened to deploy more tactical weapons and resume propaganda broadcasts along the border with South Korea, according to state media reports. Kim Yo Jong, the sister of leader Kim Jong Un, said that North Korea would place loudspeakers on standby along the entire border within days and has put unspecified new countermeasures on alert. The threats come as tensions remain high between the two countries following incidents last month in which three South Korean soldiers were injured by mine blasts.

According to state-owned media, Kim Jong Un said that anti-North Korea confrontation has exceeded that of the previous South Korean government. North Korea has defended its actions as responses to what it views as provocative South Korean measures. South Korea, meanwhile, has defended its own broadcasts and warning shots near the border as legitimate defensive measures.

South Korea has responded to the North Korean threats by vowing a stern reaction if Pyongyang acts on its announced plans to strengthen its military posture along the border. A South Korean government representative stated that Seoul would respond with what it termed resolute punishment if North Korea carried out the threatened actions. North Korea has separately ordered its border troops to take prompt and resolute action if South Korean forces threaten their safety, state media reported.

The loudspeaker broadcasts were previously used by both sides as a propaganda tool along the heavily armed frontier. The threats to restart such broadcasts mark an escalation in an ongoing pattern of confrontation between the two countries. Tensions between North and South Korea have risen since Pyongyang began fortifying its border in April 2024.

The situation reflects the fragile state of affairs on the Korean Peninsula, where military posturing and counter-posturing have become routine. Both sides have cited the actions of the other as justification for their own measures, creating a cycle of escalating rhetoric and military preparations.

The unspecified new countermeasures mentioned by North Korea remain unclear, though the stated readiness of loudspeakers and additional tactical weapons indicates a visible show of military intent. The border between North and South Korea remains one of the most heavily militarised frontiers in the world.

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