NK leader's sister warns of border countermeasures, loudspeakers to be ready within days

Kim Yo-jong warned Thursday that North Korea’s border countermeasures, including propaganda loudspeakers aimed at South Korea, would be ready within days. Her warning followed threats of military action over South Korean warning shots at North Korean troops near the Military Demarcation Line during border fortification work. South Korea’s military said it had detected no new weapons being installed and would monitor the situation closely. The tensions follow a September 21 mine blast in the Demilitarized Zone that injured three South Korean soldiers.

North Korea has pursued border fortifications since April 2024, laying land mines, installing barbed-wire fences and erecting anti-tank barriers along the Military Demarcation Line.

South Korea’s military and the U.N. Command concluded that North Korean antipersonnel mines planted south of the Military Demarcation Line caused the September 21 blast; Pyongyang denied responsibility.

Three South Korean soldiers were injured in the blast, two of them seriously.

South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Capt. Jang Do-young said the military had identified no movement to install new weapons or systems along the border.

Kim Yo-jong said completing the fortifications would considerably lower the risk of military conflict, while warning South Korea would face a distressing situation if it made a mistake.

Published Oct 22, 2026 7:45 am KST

Updated Oct 22, 2026 12:32 pm KST

Pak Jong-chon, center, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea and an adviser to the North Korean defense ministry, Kim Yo-jong (in front of Pak), the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and others inspect fortification work on the border with South Korea at an unspecified location, Tuesday. Yonhap

Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, warned Thursday of "new counter means" along the inter-Korean border, saying propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts against South Korea will be ready within days.

Kim's warning came a day after she inspected the North's border fortification work and threatened to take military action against South Korean troops over firing warning shots at North Korean soldiers crossing the border.

"Our new counter means will get into the alert for duty at all the southern border line and the loudspeakers against the ROK will be on standby in a matter of days," Kim said in a statement carried by the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA). ROK is the acronym for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea.

Kim warned Wednesday that Pyongyang would resume propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts toward South Korea later this month, as South Korea has vowed to respond sternly to North Korean troops crossing the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) during border fortification work.

"Within the territory where our sovereignty is exercised, the permanent project for the southern border will be surely and successfully continued according to our purposes," she said.

Kim claimed that completing the fortifications would "considerably" lower the risk of military conflict between the two Koreas.

But she warned South Korea would "face the most horrible and distressing situation" if it made a "mistake," whether intentional or not.

Kim earlier said new "firepower" units have taken their firing position and threatened to deploy tactical strike means to the border.

South Korea's military said it has detected no signs of North Korea deploying new weapon systems along the border.

"No movement to install new weapons or systems has been identified," Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) spokesperson Capt. Jang Do-young said in a press briefing, adding that the South's military will closely monitor the situation.

Jang also noted the military had detected North Korean forces carrying out routine maintenance on its front-line loudspeakers even before the latest statements by Kim Yo-jong.

"North Korea must stop making groundless claims and incursions across the MDL, and positively respond to our effort to bridge the differences," Seoul's defense ministry spokesperson Chung Binna said in the briefing.

Pyongyang has pressed ahead with the fortifications since April 2024 by laying land mines, installing barbed-wire fences and erecting anti-tank barriers along the MDL, after leader Kim's declaration in late 2023 that inter-Korean relations were those between "two states hostile to each other."

North Korean troops repeatedly moved close to or crossed the MDL during border fortification work, prompting South Korean forces to issue warning broadcasts and fire warning shots to make them withdraw.

Tensions have flared up further following a Sept. 21 land mine explosion inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that injured three South Korean soldiers, two of them seriously.

The South Korean military and the U.N. Command concluded that the blast was caused by North Korean antipersonnel mines planted south of the MDL in violation of the Armistice Agreement that ended the 1950-53 Korean War. Pyongyang has flatly denied responsibility.

On Tuesday, South Korea's defense ministry vowed to respond decisively to any further provocations, while JCS Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung ordered troops to respond sternly to enemy provocations and carry out operations to reinforce the military's initiative in the DMZ.

Kim's latest statement also targeted Kim Byung-joo, a special presidential adviser for defense policy, who had criticized Pyongyang's threat to resume loudspeaker broadcasts and called on the North to apologize for its provocations.

"The special assistant to the defense policy of Chongwadae should not talk incoherently but shut his mouth at once," Kim said.

朝鲜领导人金与正周四警告称，包括针对韩国的宣传喇叭在内的边境反制措施将在数日内准备就绪。此前，韩国在朝韩边境防御工事施工期间，向靠近军事分界线的朝鲜军队鸣枪示警，朝鲜随即威胁采取军事行动。韩国军方表示，尚未发现朝鲜安装新的武器，并将密切关注局势。此前，9月21日非军事区发生地雷爆炸，造成三名韩国士兵受伤，双方紧张局势加剧。

自 2024 年 4 月以来，朝鲜一直在加强边境防御工事建设，沿着军事分界线埋设地雷、安装铁丝网围栏和设置反坦克障碍。

韩国军方和联合国军司令部认定，9月21日的爆炸是由朝鲜在军事分界线以南埋设的杀伤人员地雷造成的；平壤否认对此负责。

爆炸造成三名韩国士兵受伤，其中两人伤势严重。

韩国联合参谋本部发言人张道英上尉表示，军方没有发现任何在边境沿线部署新武器或系统的动向。

金与正表示，完成这些防御工事将大大降低军事冲突的风险，同时警告说，如果韩国犯错，将会面临令人担忧的局面。

发布于2026年10月22日 上午7:45（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年10月22日下午12:32（韩国标准时间）

周二，朝鲜劳动党中央军事委员会副委员长、朝鲜国防部顾问朴正千（中）、朝鲜领导人金正恩的妹妹金与正（朴正千前方）等人视察朝韩边境某处未公开地点的防御工事工程。（韩联社）

朝鲜领导人金正恩的妹妹金与正周四警告称，朝韩边境将出现“新的反制手段”，并表示针对韩国的宣传广播将在几天内准备就绪。

金正恩发出警告的前一天，她视察了朝鲜的边境防御工事，并威胁要对向越境朝鲜士兵鸣枪示警的韩国军队采取军事行动。

金正恩在朝鲜中央通讯社（朝中社）发布的一份声明中表示：“我们的新型反恐武器将在所有南部边境线投入使用，针对韩国的扩音器也将在几天内准备就绪。”韩国是韩国正式国名“大韩民国”的缩写。

金正恩周三警告说，平壤将于本月晚些时候恢复向韩国进行宣传广播，因为韩国已誓言要对朝鲜军队在边境防御工事建设期间越过军事分界线（MDL）的行为予以严厉回应。

“在我们行使主权的领土范围内，南部边界的永久性项目必将按照我们的目标顺利推进，”她说。

金正恩声称，完成这些防御工事将“大大”降低朝韩之间发生军事冲突的风险。

但她警告说，如果韩国犯下“错误”，无论是有意还是无意，都将“面临最可怕和最令人痛苦的局面”。

金正恩早些时候表示，新的“火力”部队已经进入射击位置，并威胁要向边境部署战术打击手段。

韩国军方表示，尚未发现朝鲜在边境沿线部署新型武器系统的迹象。

韩国联合参谋本部发言人张道英上校在新闻发布会上表示：“目前尚未发现任何安装新武器或系统的行动”，并补充说，韩国军方将密切关注局势。

张还指出，早在金与正发表最新声明之前，军方就已发现朝鲜军队对其前线扬声器进行例行维护。

首尔国防部发言人郑彬娜在简报会上表示：“朝鲜必须停止毫无根据地提出主张和越过军事分界线进行侵略，并积极回应我们为弥合分歧所做的努力。”

自 2024 年 4 月以来，平壤一直在推进军事分界线沿线的防御工事建设，包括埋设地雷、安装铁丝网和设置反坦克障碍。此前，朝鲜领导人金正恩在 2023 年底宣布，朝韩关系是“两个敌对国家”之间的关系。

在边境防御工事建设期间，朝鲜军队多次靠近或越过军事分界线，促使韩国军队发出警告广播并鸣枪示警，迫使其撤退。

9 月 21 日，非军事区 (DMZ) 内发生地雷爆炸，造成三名韩国士兵受伤，其中两人伤势严重，此后紧张局势进一步升级。

韩国军方和联合国军司令部认定，爆炸是由朝鲜违反1950-53年朝鲜战争停战协定，在军事分界线以南埋设的杀伤人员地雷造成的。平壤方面断然否认对此负责。

周二，韩国国防部誓言将对任何进一步的挑衅行为作出果断回应，而联合参谋本部委员长晋勇成将军则命令部队对敌方挑衅行为予以严厉回应，并开展行动以加强军队在非军事区的主动权。

金正恩的最新声明还针对了总统国防政策特别顾问金炳柱，金炳柱曾批评平壤威胁恢复扩音器广播，并呼吁朝鲜为其挑衅行为道歉。

“青瓦台国防政策特别助理不应该胡言乱语，应该立刻闭嘴。”金说道。