OMM Newsroom
North Korea has ordered troops stationed along the border with South Korea to “act swiftly and decisively” if their security is threatened. The warning, reported by state media on Wednesday, has further raised tensions along the heavily fortified border.
South Korea said a day before Pyongyang’s warning that it would respond “resolutely” to any new provocations if North Korea carried out its threat to strengthen its military positions near the border, AnewZ reports.
According to the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), North Korean army Marshal Pak Jong Chon inspected fortifications on the border with South Korea on Tuesday, accompanied by Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of Kim Jong Un.
During the visit, Kim Yo Jong said newly deployed fire-support units had “taken up firing positions” along the border.
Pyongyang’s latest statements indicate that North Korean forces have heightened their combat readiness as both sides issue more warnings about possible military incidents.
Tensions rise at the border
Relations between North and South Korea have deteriorated further since Pyongyang began fortifying parts of the border in April 2024.
The two countries remain technically at war because the 1950-1953 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty.
The countries are separated by the Demilitarized Zone, considered one of the world’s most heavily armed borders. Even relatively minor incidents there can raise fears of a wider military confrontation.
The latest exchange of warnings has heightened concerns about the risk of miscalculation as both sides increase their military readiness along the border.
