Spokesperson of the General Staff of the Korean People's Army Announces
North Korean Media Commentary "Seoul Firestorm Theory May Resurface"
On the 17th, North Korea made a sudden announcement that it would redeploy military units to the Kumgangsan tourist zone, the Kaesong Industrial Complex, and guard posts (GPs) within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), and also revive military exercises in the West Sea. This came just one day after blowing up the inter-Korean joint liaison office building in Kaesong. North Korea even revived the 'Seoul will be a sea of fire' rhetoric, effectively declaring the total collapse of inter-Korean relations as a fait accompli.
A spokesperson for the General Staff Department of the Korean People's Army issued a statement titled "Our army will thoroughly guarantee all internal and external measures taken by the Party and government militarily," as reported by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).
The spokesperson said, "The General Staff Department of the Korean People's Army already publicly reported on the direction of the next phase of military actions against the enemy on the 16th," and added, "As of the 17th, specific military action plans are being reviewed, and accordingly, we clarify our position more explicitly as follows."
He first announced, "We will deploy regiment-level units and necessary firepower detachments to perform defense duties in the Kumgangsan tourist zone and the Kaesong Industrial Complex, where the sovereignty of our Republic is exercised."
He continued, "According to the inter-Korean military agreement, we will redeploy and advance the civilian guard posts that had withdrawn from the DMZ to strengthen frontline guard duties with ironclad vigilance."
He also stated, "We will increase combat duty shifts of artillery units deployed along the entire front line, including the southwestern sea front, elevate the frontline guard duty level to the No. 1 combat duty system across all fronts, and resume normal military exercises near the border areas."
This implies the redeployment of frontline main forces to the Kaesong and Kumgangsan areas, putting these regions?which symbolized inter-Korean peace and cooperation in the 2000s?at risk of reverting to arenas of sharp military confrontation.
The plan to restore guard posts (GPs) within the DMZ and resume training across the entire front line effectively amounts to the annulment of the September 19 military agreement, which was considered an achievement of the Moon Jae-in administration.
Additionally, the warning of artillery unit deployment and firing near the West Sea raises concerns about potential military clashes between the two Koreas, further escalating tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
The General Staff Department spokesperson also said, "We will open areas favorable for leaflet (propaganda leaflets) distribution against the South across all fronts, militarily guarantee our people's leaflet distribution struggle against the South, and establish foolproof safety measures."
This means mobilizing many residents in the inter-Korean frontline areas to distribute leaflets against South Korea.
The spokesperson added that these military action plans will be further detailed and approved by the Central Military Commission of the Party as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, North Korea's state media, the Korean Central News Agency, threatened military conflict beyond the breakdown of inter-Korean relations in a commentary.
The agency referred to the South Korean government's protest and expression of regret over the previous day's liaison office explosion, calling it "brazen hypocrisy." It said, "Do they even have the face to dare mention violations of the Panmunjom Declaration or the annulment of agreements?" and added, "They have committed countless acts they should not have, yet they shamelessly accuse us of violating agreements, which can only be described as the height of impudence and shameless disgrace."
The agency further warned, "Words and actions have consequences," and said, "If they miscalculate, the long-forgotten 'Seoul will be a sea of fire' theory may resurface, or even more horrific threats could be inflicted. They should be prepared to bear the consequences."
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