UN Command to investigate N. Korea's gunshots at DMZ

The United Nations Command has embarked on an investigation into the multiple gunshots fired by North Korean army towards a South Korean guard post. The investigation is aimed at verifying if the firing was an intentional provocation and if it is in violation of the armistice treaty between the two Koreas, and a detailed report is expected to be announced with the actions taken by the South Korean military taken into account.

“The UN Command will conduct a thorough investigation to determine if there was an Armistice Agreement violation, and will provide the report to the appropriate authorities once completed,” U.S. Army's Col. Lee Peters, director of Public Affairs of United States Forces Korea, said in a statement. It has been reported that a special investigation team under the UN Command military armistice committee visited the guard post in question inside the DMZ area in Gangwon Province for forensic research and briefing.

The investigation team consists of around 10 people including the liaison group from South Korea, the United States, and other member states. “The UN Command is planning to complete the investigation as early as possible,” said a military source.

The presidential office Cheong Wa Dae called it a “typical investigation,” refraining from a broad interpretation. “Given multiple circumstantial evidence, our stance remains the same that the shots were simply accidental,” a high-ranking official at Cheong Wa Dae said in a phone call with The Dong-A Ilbo. “The UN Command’s investigation appears to be just a typical step. Seoul and Washington are closely sharing intelligence, and our analysis holds that it was a simple accident.”


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