North Korea tells troops to take 'resolute action' if South Korea threatens its safety

North Korea ordered its troops along the country's border with South Korea to take "prompt and resolute action" if its neighbor threatens their safety, state media reported on Wednesday. 

The orders increase the risk of clashes between the two countries and come a day after South Korea pledged to "resolutely" punish any further provocations from North Korea, Reuters reported. 

North Korean Army Marshal Pak Jong Chon, who was accompanied by the sister of leader Kim Jong Un — believed to be the likely heir to the Kim dynasty — inspected fortifications on the border with South Korea, and Kim Yo Jong said new units had "taken their firing positions" at ​the border, state media reported. 

Tensions between the two countries have increased since North Korea began fortifying its border in April 2024.