North Korea threatens loudspeaker broadcasts toward South Korea after landmine incident... Government takes a hard line

The government has launched a hard-line response, including sending a letter to the president of the UN Security Council to secure an apology for the North Korean military’s landmine incident. The Ministry of National Defense will also take proportional measures against North Korea. Even after the incident, North Korea has continued to mock and criticize the Blue House, behaving as though it were the aggrieved party. North Korea has also threatened to finish preparations within days to resume broadcasts toward South Korea in the inter-Korean border area and to take new military action.
The Foreign Ministry said on the 22nd that it would send a letter to the president of the UN Security Council concerning the explosion of a landmine in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) by North Korea. Park Du-sun, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said, “I understand the letter will explain that the explosion was caused by mines planted by the North Korean military and was a clear violation of the Korean Armistice Agreement, demand an apology and responsible action from North Korea, and call for dialogue to prevent an escalation of tensions and restore trust.” He added, “It will also draw attention to North Korea’s recent attempts to shift responsibility for rising regional tensions onto our side by labeling our military’s legitimate operational activities around the Military Demarcation Line as provocations.”
The South Korean military authorities also reaffirmed that day that they would take “proportional measures” if North Korea activates its loudspeakers directed at South Korea. If the military responds proportionally, it could reinstall around 20 fixed loudspeaker systems aimed at North Korea that were removed early in the Lee Jae-myung administration, or reactivate around 10 mobile loudspeakers aimed at North Korea.
At a regular briefing, Defense Ministry spokesperson Jeong Bit-na was asked whether the military was also considering installing loudspeakers aimed at North Korea in a symmetrical response if North Korea resumed broadcasts toward South Korea. Jeong replied, “If North Korea does something, shouldn’t we naturally take proportional measures too?”
A Ministry of Unification official told reporters that day that the option of resuming loudspeaker broadcasts toward North Korea as a proportional measure “will be decided through consultations among the relevant ministries.” The Ministry of Unification, however, urged North Korea to stop immediately “actions around the Military Demarcation Line that violate the Korean Armistice Agreement and increase the risk of tension and clashes.” The ministry said, “Just over a year ago, we experienced distress that residents on both sides found difficult to bear as loudspeakers blared at one another,” adding, “We must not repeat the mistakes of the past.”
It also called on North Korea to align the two Koreas’ positions on the Military Demarcation Line and promptly establish a communication system for its peaceful management as a fundamental solution.
Kim Yo Jong, a department director of the Workers’ Party of Korea Central Committee, threatened that new means of response were being kept on standby in all border areas and that broadcasts toward South Korea would also be ready within days. Kim went on to openly mock the Blue House’s special adviser for defense policy, saying the official was making far-fetched claims.
North Korea has pursued and considered deploying tactical strike systems in the inter-Korean border area, including weapons systems capable of carrying tactical nuclear warheads. North Korea is reportedly preparing to deploy along the border a 600-mm super-large multiple rocket launcher that it claims can carry the “Hwasan-31” tactical nuclear warhead, a new 240-mm multiple rocket launcher, tactical missiles, and other weapons. With ranges of around 400 km, these weapons would be capable of striking all of South Korea if deployed in the border area.
[email protected] Kim Kyung-soo Reporter