North Korea has told its troops on the border with South Korea to take "prompt and resolute action" if South Korean forces threaten their safety, state media reported on Wednesday, according to Singapore broadcaster CNA. The order raises the risk of a clash on the heavily armed frontier and came a day after Seoul promised to punish any further provocation resolutely.
The state news agency KCNA said Marshal Pak Jong Chon inspected border fortifications on Tuesday with Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of leader Kim Jong Un. Kim Yo Jong said new firepower units had taken up firing positions along the border. Tensions between the two Koreas have risen since Pyongyang began fortifying the frontier in April 2024. The countries remain divided by the Demilitarised Zone created by the 1953 Korean War armistice.
Source: CNA
