Conflicts
South Korean soldiers fire warning shots at border
The demilitarized zone still forms the de facto border between North and South Korea. Photo
© Kim Hong-Ji/Pool ReutersPool Reuters/AP
Once again there is a military incident on the inter-Korean border – and once again there are warning shots fired.
According to the South Korean military, North Korean soldiers have once again illegally crossed the border line in the buffer zone between the two countries for a short time. After warning shots were fired by South Korean border guards, they retreated back across the military demarcation line, the General Staff in Seoul said. It was the second such border violation since the beginning of June.
As on June 9, the North Koreans were carrying construction equipment with them. There were 20 to 30 soldiers in the group. They probably crossed the demarcation line unintentionally, it was said. No unusual activities were observed.
Recently, North Korea had sent soldiers to various locations in the northern part of the demilitarized zone (DMZ) to carry out construction work. As South Korea’s general staff has now announced, in addition to laying landmines, they also appear to have reinforced roads used for military purposes and erected structures that cannot yet be explained in detail. These could be tank traps. Since April, several soldiers have already been killed by landmine explosions, it was said.
The DMZ still forms the de facto border between the two countries, which have been at war under international law since the Korean War of 1950-1953. The buffer zone, around 240 kilometers long and four kilometers wide, was set up across the Korean peninsula at the end of the war. The inter-Korean border is heavily fortified. Tensions between the two countries have been increasing significantly for months.