Seoul dismisses Pyongyang's criticism of border warning shots as 'groundless'
A North Korean loudspeaker used for broadcasts toward South Korea is seen along the Imjin River in North Korea, as viewed from a border area in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. Yonhap
Military warns of firm response to further provocations as N. Korea threatens to escalate DMZ standoff
Seoul’s defense ministry on Tuesday rejected Pyongyang’s criticism of warning shots and broadcasts along the inter-Korean border, calling them legitimate defensive measures intended to prevent North Korean troops from crossing the Military Demarcation Line (MDL).
The ministry accused Pyongyang of shifting responsibility for rising military tensions to Seoul after Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, threatened to reinforce weapons deployments near the border and resume loudspeaker broadcasts toward the South.
“The warning broadcasts and warning shots carried out by our military near the MDL are legitimate defensive measures aimed at preventing North Korean troops from crossing the line and compelling those who have crossed to withdraw,” a military official said during a background briefing Tuesday.
The official expressed serious concern that Kim had criticized operations conducted under the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement while threatening further military action. The ministry urged Pyongyang to stop making “groundless claims” and crossing the MDL, and to cooperate in efforts to resolve differences over how the two sides identify the line.
The official also warned that South Korea would respond decisively to any further North Korean provocations, while continuing to carry out military operations in accordance with the armistice agreement.
In her statement Monday, Kim accused South Korean troops of threatening North Korean personnel working on border fortifications. She said the North was considering deploying additional tactical strike weapons along the border and restarting loudspeaker broadcasts aimed at South Korea.
Kim also claimed that South Korean troops had conducted 2,780 warning broadcasts and 201 warning shots, identifying units and guard posts. A Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) official said Tuesday that the figures were broadly similar to the South’s records but did not match exactly.
The military declined to disclose its own detailed figures.
A military official deemed the warning broadcasts and shots effective, noting that North Korea had been closely tracking the measures. The official maintained that the actions followed established procedures and were coordinated closely with the United Nations Command (UNC) under the armistice framework.
Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung answers lawmakers’ questions during a parliamentary audit of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the defense ministry in Seoul, Oct. 8. Joint Press Corps
Asked whether Seoul could resume its own loudspeaker broadcasts if the North followed through on its threat, a military official said, “We are not ruling out any options.” No specific response has been announced.
A military official said the military was closely monitoring developments involving the tactical strike weapons mentioned by Kim, without confirming whether any new deployment had taken place.
Hong Min, a senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said the North’s latest statement was intended to discourage South Korean military responses as it sought to finish border fortifications before winter.
“The Oct. 19 statement is intended to pressure South Korean troops into holding back their responses so the North can complete its border fortifications,” Hong said. “In the process, it also draws attention to ambiguities surrounding the MDL and the limitations of the armistice system.”
Hong also pointed to a shift in Pyongyang’s stated threshold for retaliation. In late September, the North threatened to respond to direct fire or rounds landing on its side. It later warned against even a 1-millimeter border crossing, before describing warning shots themselves as a threat to its soldiers.
That shift, Hong said, raises the risk of a clash even if South Korean troops continue following their existing warning procedures.
Separately, JCS Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung visited a central front-line unit Tuesday and ordered troops to respond firmly to any further North Korean provocations. He also called for continued efforts to strengthen the South’s operational initiative in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).
The latest dispute follows a Sept. 21 land mine explosion in the DMZ that injured three South Korean soldiers. The UNC determined that a North Korean antipersonnel mine found south of the MDL constituted a violation of the armistice agreement.