S. Korea's top military officer orders stern responses after NK threatens to deploy more weapons along border
Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung speaks during a parliamentary audit held at the Ministry of National Defense, Oct. 8. Joint Press Corps
South Korea's top military officer ordered troops on Tuesday to sternly respond to any enemy provocations, a day after North Korea threatened to deploy more weapons along the inter-Korean border and resume propaganda broadcasts.
The South's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung gave the directive during his visit to a central front-line unit, slamming Pyongyang for shifting the blame on Seoul for heightened inter-Korean tensions following the Sept. 21 land mine explosion that injured three South Korean troops.
"The chairman stated it is unacceptable that North Korea yesterday characterized our legitimate operational measures as a provocation, laying the blame for heightened military tensions on our armed forces," the JCS said in a release.
"He ordered troops to respond decisively if the enemy launches further provocations by using our legitimate measures as a pretext," the JCS said.
Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said in a statement her country is considering resuming propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts against Seoul and deploying more tactical strike means along the inter-Korean border, saying the border situation has become "very unstable."
She detailed specific numbers of the South's warning shots and broadcasts, claiming those activities appeared to be aimed at hampering the North's border fortification work.
During the visit to the front-line unit, Jin also instructed the military to "consistently and decisively" respond to any violations of the Armistice Agreement that governs the inter-Korean border, such as enemy incursions across the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) bisecting the two Koreas.
The chairman also ordered troops to "execute operations to reinforce South Korea's initiative in the DMZ," the JCS said. The DMZ stands for the Demilitarized Zone, a buffer zone that covers the MDL.
Jin reaffirmed that the recent mine blast, caused by North Korea-planted antipersonnel mines, was a clear act of provocation and violation of the armistice agreement.