S. Korea warns of 'decisive retaliation' as N. Korea threatens to deploy strike assets to border

South Korea vowed Tuesday to take decisive action if North Korea launches any further provocations, pushing back after Pyongyang threatened military escalation over warning shots fired by the South along the fortified border.

The defense ministry issued such a statement a day after Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, threatened to resume propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts against Seoul and deploy more tactical strike assets along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas, saying the border situation has become "very unstable."

"The Ministry of National Defense expresses grave concern over Director Kim Yo-jong's criticism of our military's legitimate operations conducted under the Armistice Agreement, as well as her escalation of tensions through military threats," the released statement said.

"We will retaliate decisively should North Korea engage in further provocations using our legitimate measures as a pretext," it added.

The ministry urged Pyongyang to cease its far-fetched claims and repeated incursions south of the military demarcation line (MDL), and respond to Seoul's calls for efforts to resolve issues related to the border line.

Fresh tensions have flared up since the Sept. 21 land mine explosions inside the DMZ that injured three South Korean soldiers. Seoul and the United Nations Command (UNC) have determined that anti-personnel mines planted by Pyongyang in violation of the Armistice Agreement caused the incident. The North has categorically denied its involvement in the blast.

The ministry denounced Kim Yo-jong for aggravating the situation and attempting to place the blame on Seoul for the heightened border tensions, vowing to respond in accordance with Armistice Agreement principles.

In a commentary released by state media, Kim cited precise figures for the warning shots and loudspeaker broadcasts from the South since August, charging that those operations were aimed at disrupting its border fortification work.

Seoul stressed that the warning broadcasts and warning shots were "legitimate and defensive" measures intended to prevent North Korean troops from violating the MDL, and to repel those that cross it.

Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung visited a central front-line unit earlier in the day and ordered troops to sternly respond to any enemy provocations, slamming the North for shifting the blame for heightened border tensions to Seoul.

The top South Korean military officer also instructed the military to execute operations to "reinforce South Korea's initiative in the DMZ," the JCS said.

Speaking to reporters on background, a JCS official explained that the "initiative" meant having military capabilities to create "favorable conditions to achieve operational goals and steer operations in the intended direction."

The official did not provide further details of what those operations would entail, citing operational security reasons.

A military source noted such an initiative to reinforce dominance in the DMZ may include operational and tactical measures, such as clearing new paths for patrol purposes or to maneuver military equipment.

It may also involve force enhancements to minimize surveillance gaps, including the installation of multipurpose guard towers and retractable front line guard posts, according to the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

A defense ministry official said the military will not rule out the resumption of anti-Pyongyang loudspeaker broadcasts as a proportional countermeasure.

"If the North does that (resume loudspeaker broadcasts), we would certainly need to take corresponding action," the official said. "We are not ruling out any measures."

The JCS official highlighted that the North has been keeping precise tallies of the South's warning shots and broadcasts.

"This is an indication that our military's stern response, executed in strict accordance with operational protocols, has had a clear impact (on Pyongyang)," he said.