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

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, 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.