Kim Yo Jong denies border loudspeakers removal

North Korea rejects claims it removed propaganda loudspeakers and signals a hard line toward Seoul.

Kim Yo Jong denies border loudspeakers removal

South Korea said North Korea removed some propaganda loudspeakers along the border after Seoul dismantled its own devices. The claim was reported by the South Korean military and defense authorities, highlighting a dispute over border communications that many had hoped would ease in recent months.

Kim Yo Jong issued a statement through the state media KCNA saying North Korea has never removed the speakers and is not willing to remove them, framing the issue as a matter of policy. She added that the stance will be fixed in North Korea's constitution in the future, a move that adds a longer term frame to the border dispute.

This exchange shows how border messaging can shape diplomacy as much as formal talks. By tying its stance to constitutional changes, North Korea signals that any shift in relations may come only after a long internal process. The rhetoric also tests how Seoul and its allies read intent from rhetoric and actions that appear to escalate rather than reduce tension.

For Seoul, the statements complicate the task of signaling willingness to talk. The gap between what Pyongyang says and what is seen on the ground risks fueling misinterpretation and makes the prospect of near term dialogue less predictable. The lingering issue of border propaganda remains a bar to a more stable channel of communication between the two Koreas.

Highlights

Observers will watch how this stance shapes any future engagement with Pyongyang