[Anchor]
North Korea's Kim Yo-jong, who has been continuing a barrage of statements recently, has warned this time that new countermeasures and loudspeaker facilities will enter a standby state along the Military Demarcation Line. This appears to signal that preparations will be completed so they can be operated at any time. In connection with the North Korean landmine explosion incident, the South Korean government has decided to send a letter to the President of the UN Security Council.
Reporter Kim Ayeong has the story.
[Reporter]
North Korea's Kim Yo-jong, a vice department director of the Workers' Party of Korea, and others inspect what appear to be solidly built concrete barriers, tactical roads, and wire fences along the Military Demarcation Line.
It confirms that North Korea's so-called "border fortification" work, aimed at physically severing the North and South, has made substantial progress.
Following the disclosure of these facilities yesterday (October 21), North Korea continued its statement offensive today.
Vice Department Director Kim Yo-jong announced that new countermeasures will enter mission-ready status along the entire border line, and loudspeaker facilities will also enter a standby state within several days.
This is interpreted as meaning they will be put into a condition where they can be operated at any time. Kim mentioned reviewing the resumption of loudspeaker broadcasts on October 19, publicly declared yesterday that they would be operated within this month, and issued a related message again today.
This is what is known as step-by-step "salami tactics."
It is interpreted that Pyongyang views the South Korean military's warning broadcasts and warning shots as a substantial threat to their construction work and is demanding that they be stopped.
[Cho Han-bum / Distinguished Research Fellow, Korea Institute for National Unification: It seems there is a target deadline set by Kim Jong-un. They are warning the South Korean military in order to wrap up the work in the meantime, but physical clashes also appear to be a burden for them….]
The South Korean military reaffirmed its stance that it will take proportional measures if North Korea starts operating loudspeakers directed at the South, and with North Korea's offensive intensifying, the South Korean government's response is also taking shape.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that it plans to send a letter to the President of the UN Security Council regarding the landmine explosion incident and the recent situation in the Demilitarized Zone.
[Park Doo-soon / Spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs: The letter is expected to demand an apology and responsible measures from North Korea, while calling for dialogue to prevent escalation of tensions and restore trust.]
This effectively leaves the landmine explosion incident on official UN Security Council record, and a foreign ministry official added that unilateral cyber sanctions against North Korea have also not been ruled out as an option by the South Korean government.
Camera by Cho Choon-dong | Video Editing by Choi Jin-hwa
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