SEOUL, August 24 (AJP) - South Korean troops fired warning shots after more than 30 North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on Aug. 19, the United Nations Command (UNC) confirmed Sunday.
The MDL, drawn under the 1953 armistice, runs through the center of the DMZ, a 250-kilometer-long buffer separating the two Koreas. Unauthorized crossings are unusual and are considered serious violations of the armistice.
According to the UNC, the North Korean soldiers had been carrying out construction and repair work when they stepped across the line. South Korean forces issued repeated loudspeaker warnings but received no response, leading them to fire warning shots. The soldiers then moved back to the northern side.
The UNC said its Military Armistice Commission began an investigation immediately after the incident. It noted that North Korea had notified the command in advance about its work in the zone, describing such prior communication as "valuable in reducing the risk of misunderstandings and unintended incidents." The UNC added that it remains prepared to talk with the North about this and other issues.
The statement came after North Korea accused South Korea of a "dangerous provocation," claiming troops fired more than 10 rounds from a 12.7-millimeter machine gun at its soldiers near the border. Ko Jeong-chol, deputy chief of the North’s General Staff, urged the South to "immediately stop reckless military actions that could trigger clashes along the southern border."
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed that warning shots were fired, saying that around 3 p.m. on August 19, North Korean soldiers crossed the MDL in the central sector before returning north.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
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