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No direct moves linked to NK military threats detected: official

June 19, 2020 - 11:45 By Yonhap
(Yonhap)

No signs have been detected yet that suggest North Korea is following through with a threat to beef up military presence near the border with South Korea, a military official said Friday.

On Wednesday, the General Staff of the North's Korean People's Army said it will redeploy troops to two joint inter-Korean economic zones, restore guard posts removed from the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas and resume all kinds of military exercises near the border in anger over anti-Pyongyang leaflet campaigns.

"No actions directly related to the General Staff spokesperson's warnings have been confirmed," a JCS official told reporters. "Our military is maintaining a monitoring and readiness posture, keeping close tabs (on North Korea) round the clock."

Earlier, North Korean soldiers were spotted at some empty guard posts inside the DMZ, sparking speculation the North could be moving to station more guard soldiers in border areas as was warned.

Following the threats, Seoul's defense ministry said the North will "pay the price" if it launches a provocative action against the South. (Yonhap)