Frontline units told to assume border farther south to avoid clashes

North Korean troops conduct quarry work on the eastern front. Photo provided by South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. — Courtesy of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

SEOUL, December 22 (AJP) - The South Korean military has internally instructed frontline units to consider the more southerly boundary when the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) along the inter-Korean border overlaps or is unclear, to avoid accidental clashes with North Korea.

During a regular press briefing at the Ministry of Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesperson Lee Sung-joon said the military prioritizes MDL markers set up in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and conducts comprehensive assessments in areas where such markers are unavailable, in response to North Korean incursions across the MDL, whether accidental or intentional.

South Korea has responded to such violations by firing warning shots.

The MDL is the ceasefire line drawn by the armistice signed on July 27, 1953. Of the roughly 1,292 markers installed at that time, only about 200 remain in place.

Over time, South Korea marked the MDL on its military maps based on these markers. The UN Command also produced its own maps, resulting in differences that can reach tens of meters in some areas.

North Korea has continued to violate the MDL since April last year, after beginning large-scale work near the DMZ, including mine removal and land development.

North Korean soldiers have crossed the MDL 16 times since March, with 10 of those cases occurring last month.

Jun Sung-min ball@ajunews.com