Why did South Korea’s unification ministry urge North Korea to stop its border actions?

The ministry said actions violating the Armistice Agreement could heighten tensions and the risk of clashes along the Military Demarcation Line. North Korean troops have repeatedly crossed the line during border fortification work, prompting South Korean warning broadcasts and shots.

What did South Korea propose to prevent accidental clashes along the Military Demarcation Line?

Seoul proposed military talks to clarify the line and urged the two Koreas to reconcile their positions on it. The unification ministry also called for establishing a communication system to manage the border peacefully, but Pyongyang had not responded to the talks proposal.

What did the investigation conclude about the DMZ land mine explosions that injured South Korean soldiers?

The South Korean military and the U.N. Command concluded that North Korean antipersonnel mines planted south of the Military Demarcation Line caused the explosions. North Korea has repeatedly denied responsibility for the blasts, which injured three South Korean soldiers.

S. Korea urges NK to stop border escalation acts amid Pyongyang's loudspeaker threat

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Summary

South Korea’s unification ministry on Thursday urged North Korea to stop actions that could raise the risk of clashes along the border after Kim Yo-jong threatened to resume loudspeaker broadcasts against Seoul within days. The ministry called for the two Koreas to reconcile their positions on the Military Demarcation Line and establish a communication system for its peaceful management. North Korea’s border fortification work has repeatedly brought its troops across the line, prompting South Korean warning broadcasts and shots.

Key Facts

The ministry said the two Koreas operated loudspeakers targeting each other until June 2025, causing what it called unbearable suffering for people on both sides of the border.
North Korea has stepped up border fortification work since April 2024, after Kim Jong-un characterized inter-Korean ties as relations between two hostile states.
Seoul proposed military talks to clarify the Military Demarcation Line, but Pyongyang has yet to respond.
The South Korean military and the U.N. Command concluded that antipersonnel mines planted by North Korea south of the Military Demarcation Line caused explosions in the Demilitarized Zone that injured three South Korean soldiers last month; Pyongyang has denied responsibility.

By Yonhap

Published Oct 22, 2026 11:45 am KST

Foreign tourists look toward the North Korean side of the Imjin River from the Odusan Unification Observatory in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. Yonhap

The unification ministry on Thursday called on North Korea to immediately stop acts that could increase the risk of clashes with South Korea along the border after the North warned of resuming loudspeaker broadcasts against Seoul.

The ministry issued the statement after Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, threatened to resume propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts targeting South Korea within days, and warned of a "horrible and distressing situation" amid tensions over Pyongyang's ongoing border fortification work.

"Actions that violate the Armistice Agreement, and heighten tensions and the risk of clashes along the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) must be stopped immediately," the ministry said, referring to the agreement that halted the 1950-53 Korean War.

It also warned against repeating past mistakes, noting that the two Koreas had operated loudspeakers targeting each other until June 2025, causing "unbearable suffering" for people on both sides of the border.

"The fundamental solution to preventing tensions and the risk of clashes between the two Koreas is to reconcile their positions on the MDL and establish a communication system for its peaceful management as soon as possible," the ministry said.

It also urged Pyongyang to stop threatening South Korea and work toward an effective resolution of the issues.

North Korea has stepped up efforts to fortify its border with South Korea since April 2024, following leader Kim's characterization of inter-Korean ties as relations between "two states hostile to each other."

North Korea's border fortification work has repeatedly brought North Korean troops across the MDL, prompting South Korean forces to issue warning broadcasts and fire warning shots to make them withdraw. Seoul has described the measures as defensive actions aimed at preventing border violations.

South Korean authorities believe North Korea may be using its own interpretation of the MDL. Seoul proposed military talks to clarify the MDL and prevent accidental clashes near the border, but Pyongyang has yet to respond.

North Korea has repeatedly denied responsibility for land mine explosions inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) last month that injured three South Korean soldiers.

The South Korean military and the U.N. Command concluded that the blasts were caused by North Korean antipersonnel mines planted south of the MDL in violation of the Armistice Agreement.

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