Pyongyang orders its forces on the border to respond "decisively" to any threat from Seoul's forces

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North Korea has ordered its border forces to "respond quickly and decisively" if South Korean forces threaten its safety, state media reported on Wednesday, raising the risk of a border clash.

This came a day after Seoul vowed to "firmly" punish any further provocations from Pyongyang if North Korea carries out its threats to bolster its military presence along the border.

The Korean Central News Agency reported that Marshal Pak Jong-chun, Vice Chairman of North Korea's Central Military Commission, inspected fortifications on the border with South Korea on Tuesday, accompanied by Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Kim Yo Jong said new units had “taken up positions” on the border, the news agency reported.

Tensions between the two Koreas have escalated since Pyongyang began strengthening its borders in April 2024.

The two countries are separated by a demilitarized zone established when the Korean War ended with an armistice in 1953.