South Korean military says North Korean artillery near border is older equipment
A South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson said the artillery spotted along the western front line is legacy hardware, not the new system North Korea has threatened to deploy.
Photographs taken from a park in Gimpo, west of Seoul, reveal a 122-mm self-propelled howitzer stationed in the coastal border area of Kaepung County, Hwanghae Province, farther south than its usual placement. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Capt. Jang Do-young told reporters that the artillery is likely legacy equipment, not the new system Pyongyang has recently claimed it would forward-deploy. The vehicle displayed a slogan urging the destruction of U.S. imperialist forces, and nearby troops raised red flags in what appeared to be a drill.
Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, has threatened to place “new tactical weapons” along the heavily fortified border and resume anti-South broadcasts. Seoul has repeatedly warned that Pyongyang’s fortification activities are extending beyond the Military Demarcation Line, a development observers find unusual.
Why it matters
It shows North Korea’s border buildup may be more about signaling than introducing new weaponry, affecting regional security calculations.
How this story developed
- Oct 13 North Korea and China Open Long-Delayed Yalu River Bridge After 12 Years
- Oct 13 Defector Choi Min-kyeong secured a court award of 50 million won against Kim Jong-un for torture and sexual violence she endured in North Korea.
- Oct 15 Customs data showed a pronounced spike in northbound shipments on the older Sino‑Korean Friendship Bridge in the days after the Oct 1‑7 holiday as traders rushed to send goods before the new bridge opens.
- Oct 18 New reporting reveals large numbers of North Korean laborers at Russia’s Alabuga drone plant.
- Oct 19 Kim Yo-jong said the southern border is very unstable and North Korea is reviewing a possible restart of loudspeaker broadcasts.
- Oct 19 North Korean state media released images of Kim Jong Un inspecting a footwear and clothing exhibition, countering online claims that he had died.
- Oct 20 North Korea announced it is considering deploying additional weapons and restarting loudspeaker broadcasts.
- Oct 21 Kim Yo Jong issued a new statement warning of serious tension on the Korean border.
- Oct 21 South Korea reported 2,780 loudspeaker broadcasts and 201 warning shots along the border.
- Oct 22 North Korea announced it will reactivate border loudspeaker broadcasts within days.
- Oct 24 The bridge was formally opened this month after a twelve‑year delay.
- Oct 25 Kim Jong-un made a surprise one‑day visit to Dandong, met Wang Huning and Wang Yi, inspected a bus factory and praised the newly opened bridge.
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