Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has issued a public statement lashing out at South Korea and threatening to deploy extra weapons along the border. The statement followed claims about her brother's health, including an assertion by the chairman of the China Democracy Party, Wanjun Xie, that Kim Jong Un had died and that Kim Yo Jong had taken control.
Accusations Against South Korea
Kim Yo Jong, a North Korean diplomat and close ally of her brother, accused South Korea of firing warning shots and issuing warning broadcasts numerous times at the border since August, under the pretext that soldiers from her country had crossed the border.
"A grave situation is prevailing along the southern border due to the reckless behaviour of the ROK military gangsters," Kim Yo Jong said, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea, according to the Mirror.
She said the North Korean military was considering "deploying more tactical strike means along the southern border as a preemptive and suppressive measure to deal with contingency, and of resuming the loudspeaker broadcasting against the ROK."
Mine Blasts and Border Fortifications
Earlier this month, South Korea formally blamed North Korean planted mines for a series of blasts at the border on September 21. The nation urged the North to apologise and remove other mines, but North Korea denied responsibility and warned of retaliation if provoked.
Border tensions have increased in recent years as North Korea added mines, barbed wire fences, anti-tank barriers and other front-line fortifications in line with its policy of cutting all ties with the South.
South Korea's military has said North Korean soldiers violated the border's military demarcation line 50 times this year during their fortification works. The country responded with warning shots and warning broadcasts.
Loudspeaker Campaigns
Loudspeaker broadcasts are one of the Cold War-era psychological warfare campaigns both nations have utilised in times of confrontation. South Korea's liberal government, which came into power last year, ended the broadcasts in a bid to improve relations with the North. North Korea then also stopped its own broadcasts.
Proof of Life Images
The threat comes as the health of the country's supreme leader remains in question. North Korea quickly shut down the claims about his death, issuing "proof of life" images of Kim Jong Un.
The images published by North Korean state media on Monday show Kim examining children's footwear and women's coats at a garment and footwear exhibition, but they have not been independently verified.
