South Korea called on North Korea today, Thursday, to return to the negotiating table and refrain from any provocative actions that could lead to accidental clashes along the shared border between the two countries.
Yonhap News Agency quoted South Korean Ministry of Defense spokesperson Jeong Bit-na as saying at a press conference in response to threats from the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to resume broadcasting propaganda via loudspeakers: "The South Korean government will consider taking similar measures if its neighbor resumes broadcasting via loudspeakers towards the South."
The spokesperson pointed out the necessity for Pyongyang to stop making baseless claims and crossing the Military Demarcation Line, emphasizing the importance of a positive response to efforts to narrow differences and joint work to find effective solutions.
Warning against repeating past mistakes
The spokesperson warned against repeating past mistakes, noting that the two Koreas had been using loudspeakers targeting each other until June 2025, which caused unbearable suffering for populations on both sides of the border.
It also called for an immediate halt to acts violating the armistice agreement between the two countries, which heighten tensions and the risk of clashes along the Military Demarcation Line, referring to the agreement that ended the Korean War that lasted from 1950 to 1953.
Close monitoring of the border situation
The spokesperson stated that the fundamental solution to prevent tensions and the risk of clashes between the two Koreas is reconciling their positions regarding the Military Demarcation Line and establishing a communication system to manage it peacefully as soon as possible.
At the same time, the South Korean military announced that it had not detected any signs of North Korea deploying new weapon systems along the border.
Jang Do-young, spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed at a press conference today that "no movement to install new weapons or systems has been detected," adding that the South Korean military will monitor the situation closely.
Ongoing border fortifications
It is noted that Pyongyang has continued border fortification works since April 2024, laying landmines, installing barbed wire fences, and building anti-tank barriers along the Military Demarcation Line.
These measures came following a statement by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in late 2023 that relations between the two Koreas are those between "hostile states."
These construction works have repeatedly led to North Korean forces approaching or crossing the Military Demarcation Line, prompting South Korean forces to broadcast warnings via loudspeakers and fire warning shots to force them to retreat.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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