North Korea directs border troops to act against perceived threats from South Korea amid rising tensions

North Korea has directed its border forces to take "prompt and resolute action" if South Korean forces threaten their safety, state media KCNA reported on Wednesday, raising risks of a clash along the heavily militarised border.

The development came a day following South Korea’s vow to "resolutely" punish any further provocations by Pyongyang if North Korea bolsters its military posture along the border.

Read more: Seoul vows 'resolute punishment' after North Korea threatens new border measures

State media reported that North Korean Army Marshal Pak Jong Chon engaged in inspections of fortifications on the border with South Korea, alongside Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong Un’s sister.

Kim Yo Jong said new firepower units had "taken their firing positions" at the border, North Korean media reported.

Tensions between North and South Korea have escalated following Pyongyang began fortifying its border in April 2024, with the two countries separated by the Demilitarized Zone that was established when the Korean War ended in an armistice in 1953.

(With inputs from Reuters)