[Anchor]

Let's take a closer look with political desk reporters Kim A-young and Kim Min-jun.

Q. What Was It Like Visiting the Border Area in Person?

[Reporter Kim Min-jun: Yes, I have been closely monitoring movements on the North Korean side since this morning. Although we were about 150 meters away, it was a location where the North Korean military could not fail to notice—using observation equipment and the like—that many domestic media outlets, including us, were filming. North Korea's self-propelled artillery and multiple rocket launchers are collectively referred to as "long-range artillery." According to artillery doctrine, they should normally be kept concealed in unseen locations such as the northern reverse slopes of mountains or underground tunnels, and exposed only minimally and restrictively when firing. If this were truly an operational military measure, openly exposing self-propelled artillery like this would be an unthinkable deployment. For this reason, experts share the common analysis that it is a "deployment for an armed show of force."]

Q. Will North Korea Resume Anti-South Loudspeaker Broadcasts?... Border Residents Anxious

[Reporter Kim Min-jun: I also visited Dangsan-ri, a village on Ganghwa Island that would suffer damage if North Korea resumes loudspeaker broadcasts toward the South, and spoke with residents. The North had previously responded by blasting all kinds of roaring noises to prevent North Koreans from hearing our loudspeaker broadcasts toward the North. Many residents voiced concerns that the loudspeaker war might resume, saying those noises were truly agonizing.]

Q. Will North Korea Agree to Military Talks?

[Reporter Kim A-young: The Ministry of National Defense proposed military talks last Friday, making today the fourth day. North Korea remains silent on this proposal. Instead, it deployed self-propelled artillery and sent a letter to the UN Security Council claiming that "the landmine explosion was staged by South Korea." With the two Koreas facing off in the border region and clashing in the international community with conflicting claims, the prospects for resuming dialogue do not appear very high. However, with a North Korea-U.S. summit being discussed, a direct head-on clash between North and South is unlikely to be an option the North wants either. As our government has positioned itself as a pacemaker, both sides are expected to manage the situation for now to prevent accidental clashes.]

Q. All Eyes on North Korea-U.S. Talks... How Should the South Korean Government Respond?

[Reporter Kim A-young: Looking at Chairman Kim Jong-un's surprise visit to China and other moves, it is difficult to see North Korea completely ruling out the possibility of dialogue with the United States on the occasion of next month's APEC summit. China is also known to have indicated behind the scenes its willingness to play its part in fostering an atmosphere for North Korea-U.S. dialogue. In addition, while there is analysis that prior coordination between North Korea and China may have taken place during Chairman Kim's visit to Dandong, details such as whether the venue will be Shenzhen, China—where APEC is being held—or another location, and when it will take place, have not yet materialized. However, given that Chairman Kim has begun his diplomatic moves, observers point out that South Korea must further strengthen communication with both the United States and China to ensure it is not sidelined if direct North Korea-U.S. dealings or a Chinese-led mediation process unfold.]

[Anchor]

Earlier, Reporter Kim Min-jun mentioned being about 150 meters away from the self-propelled artillery, but let me correct that. It was about 1,500 meters away.