North Korean howitzer guns have been seen close to the border with South Korea - at a time when tensions between the two nations are high.
Three self-propelled 122mm guns had their barrels pointed south and 20 to 30 North Korean soldiers were carrying out fencing work inside the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), a Reuters news agency witness said.
"It is highly unusual (for North Korea) to expose its self-propelled artillery so conspicuously," said Lim Eul-chul, a professor at Kyungnam University in Seoul.
"By deliberately displaying it, North Korea is signalling through action, not words, that it intends to enforce its border policy through force rather than dialogue or negotiation."
One of the howitzer guns appeared to have the words "Destroy the US imperialist aggressors, the sworn enemies of the Korean people!" marked on it.
It comes after North Korea sent a letter to the UN Security Council repeating accusations that Seoul fabricated a September landmine incident.
South Korea had claimed that a blast in the DMZ in September was planted by North Korean troops and constituted a violation of the Korean War Armistice Agreement.
Pyongyang has denied responsibility for the blast.
North Korea's letter also repeated accusations that South Korea had opened fire on North Korean personnel, calling that a violation of the UN Charter, which bars the threat or use of force against another state's territorial integrity.
Seoul has said its military issues warning broadcasts and fires warning shots to send North Korean soldiers back across the line when they cross the military demarcation line, which bisects the DMZ.
(c) Sky News 2026: North Korean howitzer guns spotted close to border with South Korea - as tensions remain high
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