Kim Yo-jong Warned of Resuming Loudspeakers in October, but Military Says 'Nothing Confirmed'

Although October has passed—the timeframe by which Kim Yo-jong, director of the General Affairs Department of North Korea's Workers' Party, warned of resuming loudspeakers directed at South Korea—it has been learned that no signs of actual broadcasting resumption have been detected so far.

A military official stated on Sunday (November 1), "Currently, our military has not confirmed any operation of North Korea's loudspeakers directed at the South."

In a statement released on October 21, Kim said, "Within October, psychological warfare loudspeakers against South Korea will enter operational status along the entire border."

Taking issue with the South Korean military's warning broadcasts and warning shots fired in response to North Korean troops crossing the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), she set a specific timeframe and signaled full-scale operation just two days after mentioning that North Korea would consider resuming loudspeaker broadcasts directed at the South.

However, the following day, she said, "Loudspeakers against South Korea will enter a standby state within several days," leading to interpretations that she had somewhat lowered her tone by suggesting they would be placed in a 'standby state' to operate at any time, rather than in actual operation.

On October 29, reports emerged among residents in the border area of Paju, Gyeonggi Province, that they had heard North Korean broadcasts directed toward the South, but the National Intelligence Service said, "That is not true," assessing the residents' testimonies as a "false report."

The military also explained that there were no reports from frontline units that North Korea's loudspeaker broadcasts directed toward the South had been heard.

Analysis suggests that behind North Korea's lack of actual loudspeaker operation lies an intention to avoid escalating inter-Korean tensions surrounding its "border fortification" construction.

In her earlier statement, while warning of the resumption of loudspeakers directed at South Korea, Kim claimed that once the border fortification work is completed, the risk of military clashes between the North and the South will decrease significantly.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.