Joint Chiefs chairman chairs operational commanders' meeting at central front

Orders forces to 'strengthen DMZ dominance operations'

Defense Ministry warns North Korea of 'resolute punishment' if it provokes again

Kim Yo-jong on Monday threatened to resume loudspeaker broadcasts against South

Kim Yo-jong, director of the Korean Workers' Party General Affairs Department [Yonhap]
Kim Yo-jong, director of the Korean Workers' Party General Affairs Department [Yonhap]

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Jin Yeong-seung on Tuesday said it was "unacceptable" for North Korea to shift blame for rising military tensions and ordered South Korean forces to respond "resolutely" if the enemy uses the military's legitimate actions as a pretext for further provocation — a direct rebuke of a statement issued Monday by Kim Yo-jong, director of the Korean Workers' Party General Affairs Department.

Jin made the remarks while chairing an operational commanders' meeting at a corps headquarters responsible for the central front. He said North Korea's planting of land mines south of the MDL, which seriously wounded South Korean soldiers carrying out routine operations, was "a clear act of provocation and a violation of the Armistice Agreement."

"On Monday, North Korea labeled our legitimate operational measures as provocation," Jin said. "Our military has responded consistently and resolutely, in accordance with principles and standards, to North Korea's violations of the Armistice Agreement, including MDL incursions, and will continue to do so without wavering."

He also ordered commanders to "carry out operations to strengthen DMZ dominance," calling for strict command discipline and operational order.

South Korea's Ministry of National Defense also responded to Kim's statement Tuesday, expressing "grave concern" over what it called North Korea's condemnation of South Korea's legitimate operations under the Armistice Agreement and its attempts to escalate tensions through military threats. The Defense Ministry said warning broadcasts and warning shots fired by South Korean forces near the MDL were "legitimate defensive measures" to prevent North Korean troops from crossing the line and to expel those who already had.

The Defense Ministry warned that it would "continue to respond consistently and in accordance with principles" to North Korean violations of the Armistice Agreement, adding that if North Korea uses South Korea's legitimate measures as a pretext for further provocation, it "will be resolutely punished."

However, the ministry left the door open for dialogue, urging the North to "stop making groundless claims and crossing the MDL" and to engage in efforts to resolve differences in how each side perceives the line.

The Ministry of Unification also called on North Korea Tuesday to cooperate in resolving tensions, saying the two sides must align their positions on the MDL and establish a communication framework for its peaceful management "as soon as possible." It urged the North to "actively respond to efforts to prevent unnecessary escalation and achieve effective solutions."

On Monday, Kim issued a statement titled "We Do Not Speak of Defending Sovereignty in Words," pushing back against South Korean warning shots and other responses to MDL incursions and saying the North was reviewing plans to increase military deployments and resume loudspeaker broadcasts directed at the South.

Kim also blamed South Korea, arguing that warning broadcasts and warning shots fired when MDL crossings occur during North Korea's so-called "border fortification" work threaten the safety of North Korean soldiers and inflame tensions. The statement marked the second time in recent weeks Kim had mentioned deploying "tactical strike assets," following a statement issued late last month that referenced strengthening "tactical counterattack capabilities."

North Korea had halted its noise broadcasts toward the South after the Lee Jae Myung government suspended anti-North loudspeaker operations as an early goodwill gesture. Pyongyang is now threatening to resume them, using South Korea's responses to MDL crossings as justification.

Hong Min, a senior researcher at the Korea Institute for National Unification, said the statement appeared less a signal of intent to escalate and more a warning aimed at ensuring North Korea's border fortification work proceeds without disruption. "It seems the stronger intent is to warn South Korea against tightening its response protocols following the land mine explosion, rather than expressing a will to escalate," Hong said.


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