Kim threatens loudspeaker comeback; marshal warns of counterattack
Oct. 25, 2026; DMZ War staff
Kim Yo-jong, the ruling Workers’ Party’s general affairs director and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s stern sister, inspected fortifications Oct. 21 near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The “Z” is a winding, 4-kilometer-wide buffer separating the two Koreas. The often poorly marked Military Demarcation Line runs down its middle.
Her department handles party documents and administration, with an expanded role in communications and decision-making, analyst Michael Madden writes. Her influence goes beyond the title: Kyunghyang Shinmun describes her as one of her brother's closest aides.
The inspection took her near the Joint Security Area, a South Korean military official told SBS (a South Korean broadcaster). The Panmunjom enclave is a historic talks site, where opposing guards face each other across a concrete border marker. Kim accompanied Marshal Pak Jong-chon, a North Korean defense ministry adviser. SBS did not establish whether Kim entered the “Z.”
Pak ordered an immediate counterattack if ROK “provocations” threatened North Korean soldiers’ safety, SBS reported, citing the marshal’s remarks carried by North Korean state media.
Kim claimed new military units had taken firing positions along the border, SBS reported. SBS did not identify the weapons or say how many units were deployed.
North Korean propaganda broadcasts could return soon. Both Koreas have used powerful loudspeakers to blast messages across the “Z,” but ROK removed its fixed speakers in August 2025.
Kim threatened broadcasts during October, then said the speakers would be ready within days, Yonhap reported Oct. 22. Yonhap did not report a firm date for North Korean propaganda broadcasts to resume.
The threats follow Sept. 21 mine explosions that wounded three ROK soldiers. Our mine-dispute update and recent report track the dispute.
Our earlier landmine coverage also examined Washington’s role in the debate over a worldwide ban on antipersonnel mines. The Obama administration expressed interest in joining the agreement while retaining mines for South Korea’s defense. But America never joined the Ottawa Treaty.
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