Kim Yo-jong Says Border Loudspeakers Will Be Put on Standby Within Days

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s sister said loudspeakers directed against South Korea would be placed on standby within a matter of days, signaling that Pyongyang is moving closer to reviving psychological warfare broadcasts along the inter-Korean border.

Kim Yo-jong, a senior official in the ruling Workers’ Party, made the announcement as North Korea continues work to fortify its southern frontier and deploy military units near the boundary. Her statement marked a further escalation in a series of warnings aimed at Seoul over military activity in the border area.

The latest message followed Kim’s earlier declaration that propaganda loudspeakers would become operational along the entire border before the end of October. She described the planned deployment as a justified response to what Pyongyang portrays as repeated South Korean provocations. Her new reference to equipment being on standby within days suggests preparations are advancing, although no broadcast schedule or operational details were disclosed.

The loudspeaker issue has re-emerged as a visible measure of deteriorating relations between the two Koreas. South Korea suspended its large-scale anti-North Korean broadcasts in June as part of President Lee Jae Myung’s effort to reduce military tensions. North Korea subsequently halted its own broadcasts toward the South. A renewed deployment by Pyongyang would reverse part of that brief de-escalation.

Kim has also accused South Korean troops of using warning broadcasts and firing warning shots near the border. Seoul’s military has said it uses smaller speakers at guard posts when operational warnings are necessary, distinguishing those messages from the broader propaganda system that was suspended. South Korean officials have maintained that warning measures near the Military Demarcation Line are legitimate safety and security responses.

Tensions intensified after land mine explosions in the Demilitarized Zone injured three South Korean military personnel in September. Pyongyang has disputed Seoul’s characterization of the incident and criticized the South’s subsequent actions. North Korea has meanwhile pressed ahead with physical barriers and other fortification work along the border, presenting its policy as a permanent separation from the South.

Putting loudspeakers on standby does not necessarily mean broadcasts will begin immediately. It does, however, give Pyongyang another tool for pressure and raises the risk of reciprocal measures. Any resumption would add noise and psychological operations to a border environment already strained by troop movements, warning shots and competing claims over responsibility for recent incidents.