U. S. fighters cross border, N.K. demands apology

Two U.S. Air Force (USAF) fighters crossed the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) at 11:22 a. m. Thursday, prompting North Korea to lodge a strong protest and demand an apology for the incident from the U.S. side. The USAF F-18 fighters departed from the carrier Kitty Hawk, which is taking part in the current joint Korea-U.S. Eagle Exercise in the East that began Oct. 25. A military source said that the incident might have occurred because the pilots were not knowledgeable regarding Korean topography.

U. S. Forces Korea announced that the two fighters crossed the North Korean border inadvertently and that the planes returned as soon as the U. S. and Korean Forces sent warnings to them, adding that it is now investigating the incident. The USFK also disclosed that it notified the North Korean side of this through Panmunjom and that the UNC Armistice Commission proposed a meeting with North Korean officials to discuss the incident and separate instances of North Korean soldiers crossing the MDL.