Defense ministry voices 'grave concern' over N. Korea heightening border tensions with threats

The Korea Times - Oct 20, 2026

The defense ministry on Tuesday expressed "grave concerns" over North Korea escalating border tensions with threats and its criticism of South Korea's military operations conducted in response to the North's repeated border intrusions violating the armistice agreement. The ministry's statement came 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), saying the border situation has become "very unstable." In a commentary released by state media Monday, she cited in specific numbers the warning shots and broadcasts from the South, claiming that those operations are intended to hamper its border fortification work. "The Ministry of National Defense expresses grave concern over 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," it said in a statement. "The warning broadcasts and warning shots conducted by

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