Seoul sees no signs of new North Korean weapons on border

SEOUL

A North Korean military guard post, top, and a South Korean post, bottom, are seen near the border with North Korea, in Paju, South Korea, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026. (AP Photo)

South Korea’s military said on Oct. 22 that it had seen no signs of newly deployed North Korean weapons on their shared border, hours after Pyongyang said new “counter means” would be put on alert along its length.

Pyongyang has rejected claims it was behind an explosion that injured three South Korean soldiers last month inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the heavily mined buffer area that has divided the two Koreas since their 1953 armistice, and mockingly dismissed calls for an apology.

The country on Oct. 19 called the situation along the border “grave”, saying it was considering deploying additional “tactical strike means” to the area.

On Oct. 22, Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un, said the North would place loudspeakers on standby along the border “within days” and had put unspecified “new counter means” on alert.

The statement came less than 24 hours after Kim Yo Jong announced Pyongyang had moved new troop units into “firing position” after a visit to the border.

But Seoul’s military said on Oct. 22 that it has seen no sign of new weapons being deployed so far.

“We have not observed any signs that North Korea is deploying new types of weaponry,” Jang Do-young, spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters.

“Nevertheless, given their claims, we are keeping a close watch on the situation,” he added.

Asked about the North’s loudspeaker claims, Jang said “routine maintenance work” had been observed even before it had issued its latest statements.