Unification ministry urges N. Korea to halt armistice violations, respond to dialogue efforts

The Korea Times - Oct 20, 2026

The unification ministry on Tuesday urged North Korea to refrain from escalating tensions along the inter-Korean border and respond to Seoul's efforts to resolve issues related to the Military Demarcation Line (MDL). The appeal came a day after Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, threatened to deploy more tactical weapons near the southern border and consider resuming loudspeaker broadcasts targeting South Korea in response to the South Korean military's warning shots and broadcasts over North Korean troops' repeated crossings of the MDL. "To fundamentally resolve tensions and the risk of clashes related to the MDL, the two sides need to reconcile their positions on the MDL and establish a communication system for its peaceful management as soon as possible," the ministry said. The ministry also called on Pyongyang to respond to efforts "to prevent unnecessary escalation and achieve an effective resolution of the issues," stressing that North Korean acts violating the Armistice Agreement that ended the 1950-53 Korean War must cease immediately. In a state

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