North Korea to Restart Border Broadcasts as Tensions Rise

WHO:

CBS News World - A veteran North Korea analyst said that a change in the situation along the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), together with a warning from North Korea, was cause for concern.

NPR - Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un’s sister and a leading spokesperson on Washington and Seoul, announced North Korea’s plan to restart anti-Seoul broadcasts.

NPR - Kim Yo Jong toured the border with Marshal Pak Jong Chon, a senior North Korean military official.

NPR - South Korean Defense Ministry spokesperson Chung Binna said Seoul would need to take “proportionate measures,” without specifying what they would be.

NPR - South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Jin Yong-Sung called Kim’s threats “intolerable” and ordered the military to “sternly respond” to potential North Korean provocations.

NPR - South Korea’s liberal government is led by President Lee Jae Myung.

WHAT:

NPR - North Korea said it would resume propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts along the border with South Korea, reviving a psychological-warfare campaign.

NPR - Kim Yo Jong said North Korea would put “new counter means” on alert and have loudspeakers on “standby within days.”

NPR - Kim said the loudspeakers would operate “along the whole border” and that North Korean tactical units were taking new positions.

NPR - North Korea has been adding mines, barbed-wire fences, anti-tank barriers and other fortifications along the border.

NPR - North Korea denied responsibility for mine explosions that injured three South Korean front-line soldiers and warned of strong retaliation if provoked.

NPR - South Korea formally blamed North Korean-planted mines after an inspection with the U.S.-led United Nations Command and urged North Korea to apologize and remove remaining mines.

NPR - South Korea’s military said North Korean soldiers crossed the military demarcation line 50 times during fortification work; Seoul said it responded with warning shots and broadcasts.

NPR - Kim called South Korea’s claims of crossings a “false pretext.” She warned North Korean guards would “show no mercy” if South Korean warning shots caused actual harm to North Korean territory or personnel.

NPR - Pak denied that North Korean troops crossed the border and threatened an “overwhelming response” to South Korean provocations.

NPR - South Korea halted its own broadcasts after President Lee took office; North Korea later stopped its broadcasts as well.

WHERE:

CBS News World - The reported change in circumstances is along the DMZ.

NPR - Kim Yo Jong visited front-line areas along the heavily armed border between North and South Korea.

WHY:

NPR - Kim described the fortification work as a “sacred and great undertaking” supporting Kim Jong Un’s policy of permanently severing ties with South Korea, which he has declared North Korea’s most hostile adversary.

NPR - North Korea’s announcement came amid rising tensions following the mine blasts and a prolonged diplomatic stalemate with Washington.

HOW:

NPR - The Koreas use loudspeaker broadcasts as a Cold War-era psychological-warfare tactic during periods of tension.

NPR - South Korea says its warning shots are intended to push North Korean soldiers back across the border during fortification work.

(UPDATED October 22, 2026 16:26 UTC)

North Korea says it will restart propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts along the border with South Korea, escalating tensions along the heavily armed DMZ. Kim Yo Jong, the sister of leader Kim Jong Un, said the speakers would be on standby within days and operate along the whole border. She made the announcement after visiting the area with senior military official Pak Jong Chon. North Korea has also added mines, fences and other fortifications, while denying responsibility for blasts that injured three South Korean soldiers. Seoul blamed North Korean-planted mines after an inspection with the United Nations Command and called for an apology and mine removal. South Korea says its troops fired warning shots after North Korean soldiers crossed the military demarcation line during construction; Pyongyang denies the crossings. Seoul’s military chief has ordered a firm response to provocations, and the government says it may take proportionate measures.