South Korea fires warning shots after North Korean soldiers cross demarcation line
Seoul says warning shots were fired after North Korean troops crossed the military demarcation line and then withdrew.
South Korea's military said it fired warning shots after soldiers from North Korea crossed the military demarcation line that separates the two countries and then withdrew.
According to earlier reports, the episode took place last week, though South Korean officials did not give an exact date when announcing the measure.
Seizure of line described as brief
"Recently, on the Eastern Front, North Korean forces crossed the military demarcation line, prompting our military, in accordance with operational procedures, to fire warning shots. Our military is closely monitoring North Korea's movements and maintaining a high level of combat readiness," the Joint Chiefs of Staff of South Korea said, without specifying the exact date of the incident.
Seoul said the intruders pulled back after the warning fire. It was reported that this is the first confirmed crossing of the demarcation line by North Korean personnel this year and that the soldiers were likely on patrol when they entered the zone.
North Korea's embassy in Singapore did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Last year, officials recorded 17 violations of the demarcation line by North Korean soldiers.
The two Koreas remain technically at war because the 1950–1953 Korean War ended with an armistice rather than a formal peace treaty, a status that keeps the heavily fortified demarcation line one of the most sensitive military flashpoints in the world.
Photo: EPA/JEON HEON-KYUN
