North Korea moves new units to "firing positions" on its border with the South
Agencies2 min read
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North Korea has moved new units to "firing positions," Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of leader Kim Jong Un, announced on Wednesday, days after Pyongyang warned that it was considering deploying additional offensive means on its border with South Korea.
Tensions between Seoul and Pyongyang have escalated since South Korea blamed North Korea last month for an explosion inside the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone separating the two countries, saying it was caused by landmines planted by Pyongyang, an accusation the latter rejected.
Kim Yo Jong said, according to state media, "Our military leadership has emphasized the need for these rogues to realize that our new firepower units have taken up their firing positions."
Her statement came a day after Seoul warned that it would respond "decisively" to any further provocations by North Korea.
She added that Kim Jong Un "issued an order to fortify the border with a hostile state so that it becomes forever impenetrable."
This statement came at a time when the North Korean news agency reported that Marshal Pak Jong Chon, an official in the armed forces, inspected "pivotal sites" on the border, assuring soldiers that the time has come "to organize sufficient firepower to strike terror into the heart of the enemy."
He said, "If enemy forces actually commit a provocation that threatens the safety of our working personnel... the border guard forces of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea must take highly efficient, specialized and crushing military measures."
Separately, North Korea recently tested a batch of weapons, including a "new type" of precision-guided torpedo system and a medium-range hypersonic missile, both of which reportedly use artificial intelligence technology.
The South Korean military accused Pyongyang on Tuesday of attempting to shift the responsibility for escalating military tensions onto others, while affirming the use of loudspeakers and warning shots as "legitimate defensive measures to prevent North Korean forces from crossing the military demarcation line and to push back forces that have crossed it."
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, Jin Young-seong, also ordered the military to "respond decisively" if North Korea exploits Seoul's measures as a pretext for hostile action.
Kim Yo Jong had stated on Tuesday that the South's use of loudspeaker broadcasts and warning shots constitutes "crossing the red line," hinting at the deployment of "more tactical bombing means along the southern border."
