North Korea has accused South Korean forces of firing warning shots at its soldiers who were part of a border reinforcement project.
The incident has raised tensions between the two nations, with Pyongyang cautioning that Seoul’s actions risk driving the situation to “uncontrollable” levels.
According to the North Korean People’s Army Vice Chief of the General Staff Ko Jong Chol, the South Korean military fired more than 10 warning shots towards North Korean troops.
Ko described the incident as a “serious provocation” and warned that it could inevitably escalate the situation in the southern border area.
“This is a very serious prelude that would inevitably drive the situation in the southern border area, where a huge number of forces are stationing, in confrontation with each other, to the uncontrollable phase,” Ko said.
The incident took place on Tuesday as North Korean soldiers were working to permanently seal the heavily fortified border that divides the peninsula.
However, the South Korean military has a different account of the incident. According to Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, North Korean troops briefly crossed the border, prompting the South Korean military to fire warning shots.
“Some North Korean soldiers operating near the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) within the central frontline DMZ crossed the MDL, prompting our military to fire warning shots,” the statement said. “The North Korean soldiers then moved north of the MDL.”
The reported firing of warning shots is the latest confrontation between North and South Korean forces, which have been at odds for decades over the heavily guarded border that divides both nations.
Ko warned that North Korea’s army would retaliate to any interference with its efforts to permanently seal the border. “If the act of restraining or obstructing the project unrelated to the military character persists, our army will regard it as deliberate military provocation and take corresponding countermeasure,” he said.
In recent months, South Korea has been taking steps to ease border tensions following the election of President Lee Jae-myung in June.
However, the tensions between the two nations remain high, with North Korea continuing to flaunt its military nuclear capabilities and alignment with Russia amid President Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine.
The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea is the world’s most heavily armed border, with an estimated two million mines and guarded by barbed wire fences, tank traps, and combat troops on both sides.
The last border clash between the archrivals was in early April when South Korea’s military fired warning shots after a group of 10 North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the border.