S. Korea fires warning shots at N. Korean troops for violating border

On Tuesday, South Korea’s military disclosed that a group of 20 to 30 North Korean soldiers had briefly crossed the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in the central front at approximately 12:30 p.m. on Sunday. The North Korean troops retreated immediately after South Korean forces fired warning shots. The incursion coincided with South Korea's resumption of loudspeaker broadcasts towards North Korea, a measure taken for the first time in six years, following North Korea's third "trash balloon" attack overnight. This is the first instance in nine years where more than ten North Korean soldiers have crossed the MDL.

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the North Korean troops violated the MDL in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) near Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province, and Cheorwon, Gangwon Province. They retreated to the north after South Korean forces issued warning broadcasts and fired warning shots. The JCS reported that while most of the North Korean soldiers were carrying shovels and pickaxes, some were armed with rifles. After crossing about 50 meters into South Korean territory, the soldiers were detected and spotted by a frontline guard post (GP).

The South Korean military described the incident as a "simple trespassing" and suggested the soldiers might have crossed the MDL accidentally. JCS Chief of Public Affairs Lee Seong-jun said in a briefing, “Given that they retreated immediately after our warning shots, it is assessed that they did not intend to trespass.”

However, there is concern that the military might be downplaying the incident, which could have been a deliberate "preliminary provocation" by North Korea to test South Korea's response readiness. In August 2015, a similar incident occurred 20 days before North Korea's landmine provocation, where about ten North Korean soldiers had crossed the MDL. Furthermore, criticism has arisen over the delayed disclosure of this breach, suggesting the military may have underestimated the gravity of the situation.


Sang-Ho Yun ysh1005@donga.com