North Korea to ready border loudspeakers against South Korea within days

North Korea announced it will place anti‑South Korea loudspeakers on standby along the entire border within days, warning Seoul of a "most horrible and distressing situation" if it continues what Pyongyang calls interference. The statement came from Kim Yo Jong, the sister of leader Kim Jong Un, on Thursday, October 22, 2026, and is her second remark in hours. She said the new counter‑measures will be on alert at all southern border points and the loudspeakers will be ready in a matter of days. Kim added that North Korea will keep fortifying its southern border.

Reaction

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s administration had earlier been accused by a special adviser on defence policy of provoking the North after claiming North Korean mines wounded two soldiers last month; the adviser urged restraint on loudspeaker broadcasts. Seoul says the mines caused a border blast that seriously injured two troops, a charge North Korea rejects as a fabrication. Lim Eul‑chul, a professor at Kyungnam University, cautioned that Kim’s warning does not guarantee activation of the speakers but creates an "enormous dilemma" for Lee, who must balance peaceful engagement with containing aggressive military moves.

Context

Propaganda loudspeakers have long been used by both Koreas to broadcast messages across the Demilitarized Zone, a practice that spikes tension when re‑activated. The move comes as President Lee’s early attempts to ease inter‑Korean relations face new pressure, raising the risk of the highest frontier tension since his term began.