North Korea issues ‘horrible’ threat against neighbour

North Korea aims to restart propaganda broadcasts along the heavily fortified border with South Korea as tensions between the neighbouring countries flare. The sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un announced the move just hours after visiting troops reinforcing the border on Wednesday.

Kim Yo Jong, left, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, visits frontline areas, with military officials, in North Korea on Thursday, October 22. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service Kim Yo Jong , her brother’s spokesperson on foreign relations, also said her country’s military would hit back if provoked by South Korea.

Border tensions hit a new high after three South Koreans were injured by landmine detonations in September. Kim Yo Jong said on Thursday, the North would put “new counter means” on alert along the border and have its loudspeakers on “standby” within days. Loudspeaker broadcasts are among the Cold War-era psychological warfare tactics the two Koreas have occasionally used against each other during times of tension.

Her statement also included a warning to Seoul of “the most horrible and distressing situation” if South Korea continued what Pyongyang calls interference in the North’s internal affairs. The Demilitarized Zone between the North and South Koreas is one of the world’s most heavily guarded borders.

AP/AAP The border area – known as The Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) – has been one of the most fortified parts of the world for decades since being set up after the 1950-1953 Korean War. It has two million mines, barbed wire fences, tank traps and tens of thousands of troops from both countries patrolling a divided swath of land 248km long and 4km wide.

Asked about Kim Yo Jong’s threat to resume the loudspeaker broadcasts, South Korean Defence Ministry spokesperson Chung Binna said on Thursday that Seoul would need to take “proportionate measures” in response to the North’s moves along the border, but did not elaborate on what steps are being considered.

South Korea’s military has said North Korean soldiers crossed the border’s military demarcation line 50 times this year during fortification work, and that it responded with warning shots and broadcasts. - With Reuters, The Associated Press