Ministry of Unification: "North Korea Must Stop Threats and Communicate... Resumption of Broadcasts to North Korea to Be Discussed by Relevant Ministries"

Military: "If North Korea turns on loudspeakers, we'll respond proportionally"

The Ministry of Unification said in response to Kim Yo Jong, director of the General Affairs Department of North Korea's Workers' Party, threatening in a statement to resume loudspeaker broadcasts toward South Korea, “We urge the North to stop threatening us and work toward resolving the issue in a meaningful way.”

Ministry of Unification signboard.

In a statement on October 22, the ministry said, “Actions that violate the Armistice Agreement in areas near the Military Demarcation Line and heighten the risk of tension and clashes must stop immediately,” making the remark in response to Kim’s threat.

The ministry added, “Just over a year ago, we experienced unbearable suffering, as residents in both North and South Korea faced loudspeaker broadcasts directed at each other,” and stressed, “We must not repeat the mistakes of the past.” It also urged the two Koreas to align their positions on the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) and establish a communication system for its peaceful management.

Earlier that day, Kim said in a statement that new means of response along the entire border would be placed on standby, and that loudspeakers aimed at South Korea would also be placed on standby within days. North Korea has been escalating its threats against South Korea day after day. On October 19, Kim said the North was considering resuming loudspeaker broadcasts and deploying additional tactical strike capabilities. The following day, she warned that the loudspeakers would be operational sometime in October.

Some analysts say North Korea is continuing its threats and warnings to prevent delays to its border fortification work resulting from a physical clash. Another interpretation is that referring first to the loudspeakers being “operational” and then to their being “on standby” amounts to a conditional warning that whether broadcasts actually resume depends on South Korea’s actions.

Asked that day at the Government Complex Seoul whether South Korea might resume loudspeaker broadcasts toward the North, a Ministry of Unification official said, “Specific measures will be decided through consultations among the relevant ministries.” The official added, “This is a hypothetical situation, but if both sides turn on their loudspeakers, residents in border areas would suffer greatly, as they did when North Korea broadcast noise a year ago, and concerns about clashes between the two Koreas would also increase.”

On October 2, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young opposed calls to resume broadcasts toward North Korea in response to the landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), calling it “irresponsible and extremely dangerous.”

The Ministry of National Defense reaffirmed its principle of proportional response. At a regular briefing that day, ministry spokesperson Jung Bit-na said, “If North Korea does something, shouldn’t we naturally take a proportional measure as well?” but added, “Nothing has been decided.” On October 20, the ministry had also said it would “rule nothing out” regarding the possibility of resuming broadcasts toward North Korea.

Meanwhile, Minister Chung is scheduled to meet with U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Michelle Steel next month. A Ministry of Unification official said, “The embassy requested a meeting with the ministry, and we are coordinating the schedule,” adding, “It will likely take place sometime in November.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.