North Korea has warned of rising tensions along its southern border, with Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un, saying Pyongyang is considering deploying additional tactical strike weapons in the area.
According to state media, Kim described the situation along the border as grave, accusing South Korea’s military of engaging in provocative actions that had crossed what she called a “red line”.
The warning comes amid heightened tensions between the two Koreas, as the nuclear-armed North has stepped up weapons tests in recent days, including testing a new precision-guided torpedo system that reportedly uses artificial intelligence to detect and track targets.
In a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency, Kim said North Korea’s military leadership was examining the deployment of additional tactical strike capabilities along the border.
“Our military leadership is examining the issues of deploying more tactical strike means along the southern border as a preemptive and suppressive measure to deal with contingency,” she said, without providing further details about the weapons being considered.
Kim also threatened to resume propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts directed at South Korea and warned that further actions by Seoul could have serious consequences.
Her remarks follow a series of disputes between the neighbouring countries, including South Korea’s warning shots, propaganda broadcasts and an explosion involving landmines in the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ).
The heavily mined buffer zone has separated the two countries since the 1953 armistice that halted fighting in the Korean War.
North Korea has denied responsibility for an explosion last month that injured three South Korean soldiers inside the DMZ. However, a joint investigation by Seoul and the United Nations Command concluded that the blast was caused by North Korean mines laid on the South Korean side of the border.
Tensions have also been fuelled by a series of propaganda exchanges. In 2024, North Korea sent thousands of balloons carrying rubbish into South Korea in retaliation for anti-North Korean propaganda balloons launched by activists in the South.
South Korea responded by resuming loudspeaker broadcasts along the border, airing K-pop music and international news. North Korea later retaliated by broadcasting unusual sounds towards South Korean border communities.
The use of loudspeakers has long been a source of friction between the two countries, with Pyongyang previously threatening artillery attacks against South Korean broadcast equipment.
Meanwhile, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has pledged to pursue dialogue with North Korea without preconditions, marking a shift from the more hardline approach of his predecessor.
Last year, South Korea’s Defence Ministry removed loudspeakers from its side of the border in what it described as a practical step towards easing tensions.
However, Kim’s latest warning suggests that disagreements over border security and propaganda activities continue to threaten relations between the two countries.