N. Korea Fires Upon South Korean Troops in DMZ

At 6.10 a.m. South Korean time Thursday (2110 GMT Wednesday), North Korean soldiers fired four rounds from a military outpost and South Korean soldiers fired back in response, the South`s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.

The gunfire exchange was the first on the border between North and South Korean armies since November 2001.

South Korea broadcast warnings telling the North they were violating an armistice that ended the Korean War and retaliated by firing 17 rounds back pursuant to the rules of engagement, confirmed the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Three rounds of gunshots, fired by the North Korean army, hit the lower part of the cement bunker, but the South Korean army did not sustain any casualty.

"After the exchange, we have put our forces on high alert. Up to this point, we haven`t detected any unusual move," said a military official, insisting on anonymity. He also confirmed, "A U.N. Military Armistice Commission is heading to the border to assess the situation and find out whether the incident was intentional or accidental." If found intentionally, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff will reportedly issue a statement in protest, and demand an official apology and proper actions from North through the Armistice Commission.

Sang-Ho Yun ysh1005@donga.com