N. KOREA'S THREAT TO TAKE MILITARY ACTION

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North Korea is threatening to take military action against South Korea. The General Staff of the Korean People's Army said that it will reenter zones that had been demilitarized under an inter-Korean agreement. It also unveiled a plan to "turn the front line into a fortress and send anti-Seoul propaganda leaflets into South Korea.

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​The General Staff of the Korean People's Army, equivalent to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, issued a statement in the regime's state media, saying that it is reviewing a plan to turn the zones that had been demilitarized under an inter-Korean agreement, into a fortress. The General Staff stressed that it received requests from agencies dealing with inter-Korean affairs to devise measures to enhance military vigilance against the South. Observers say the mentioned demilitarized zones refer to Kaesong and Kumgangsan Mountain area. Before a joint industrial complex was established in 2003, Kaesong was used by the regime as a route for infiltration operations into South Korea and housed military forces. The North Korean military is also predicted to enhance tension along the border by backtracking on its promise to withdraw military forces from guard posts in line with the 2018 military agreement. Pyongyang also announced a plan to send anti-Seoul propaganda leaflets into the South. According to the General Staff, North Koreans from all walks of society pledged to carry out a massive leaflet campaign against Seoul. And also emphasized, that it will soon devise military action plans and obtain approval from the ruling Workers' party's central military committee. It appears the General Staff's announcement is related to Kim Yo-jong's recent statement that the military will be the next to launch actions against South Korea. Pyongyang has not responded to President Moon Jae-in's proposal to improve cross-border relations, announced on Monday. Instead, the regime continues to heighten military tensions.