South Korea says it fired warning shots after North Korean soldiers crossed the border | Military News

The incident occurred on Sunday in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) between the two countries.

The South Korean military said it fired warning shots after North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the demilitarized zone (DMZ) that separates the two countries.

The incident occurred around 12:30 p.m. (03:30 GMT) on Sunday when a group of North Korean soldiers crossed the military demarcation line inside the DMZ, Yonhap news agency reported, citing a statement from the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

The JCS said South Korean soldiers sent warnings and fired into the air, prompting North Korean soldiers to return to their side of the heavily fortified border.

The incident came amid rising tensions between the two Koreas after Pyongyang sent more than 1,000 garbage-filled balloons across the border and South Korea resumed propaganda broadcasts that it had stopped in 2018.

Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un, said the broadcasts could provoke a “confrontational crisis”.

“This is the beginning of a very dangerous situation,” she said in a statement carried by state media.

North Korea is extremely sensitive to the loudspeaker announcements from Seoul because it fears the messages could demoralize front-line troops and the population and ultimately weaken Kim Jong Un’s power, analysts say.

When South Korea last resumed broadcasts in 2015 after a long hiatus, North Korea fired artillery shells across the border, and South Korea returned fire. No casualties were reported.

The JCS said there was no unusual activity after warning shots were fired on Sunday and soldiers returned to their side of the border.