North Korea tells border troops to take 'resolute action' if South threatens their safety

SEOUL: North Korea has told its border troops to take "prompt and resolute action" if South Korean forces threaten their safety, state media said on Wednesday (Oct 21), raising the risk of a clash along the heavily armed frontier.

The report came a day after Seoul vowed to punish "resolutely" any further provocation by Pyongyang if North Korea acts on threats to strengthen its military posture along the border.

North Korean Army Marshal Pak Jong Chon inspected fortifications on the border with South Korea on Tuesday, accompanied by Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un, KCNA reported.

Kim Yo Jong said new firepower units had "taken their firing positions" at the border, KCNA reported.

Tensions between North and South Korea have risen since Pyongyang began fortifying its border in April 2024. The two countries are separated by the Demilitarized Zone that was established when the Korean War ended in an armistice in 1953.