South Korean soldiers fired warning shots to repel North Korean soldiers who briefly crossed the land border with North Korea for the second time this month on Tuesday, the military said.
In this undated photo provided by South Korea's Ministry of National Defense on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, North Korean soldiers work at an undisclosed location near the border as seen from a South Korean security area. South Korean soldiers fired warning shots to repel North Korean soldiers who briefly crossed the enemy's land border on Tuesday for the second time this month, according to the South Korean military. (Associated Press) {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}} {{^userSubscribed}} {{/userSubscribed}}
South Korea's military has seen increased construction activity by the North along the heavily armed border, including installing what appear to be anti-tank barriers, reinforcing roads and laying landmines. Work has continued uninterrupted despite several mine explosions that have killed or injured several North Korean soldiers, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
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According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, around 20 to 30 North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the military demarcation line that divides the two countries while working at a construction site on the northern side of the border at 8:30 a.m. After South Korea made a warning broadcast and fired warning shots, the North Korean soldiers withdrew, and the South Korean military has not confirmed any suspicious movements since then.
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South Korean troops also fired warning shots on June 11 after a group of North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the military demarcation line. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday's incident happened in another area of ​​the central frontline region. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said they did not believe the North Korean soldiers deliberately violated the border and that the North Korean side did not retaliate.
South Korea's military said the border area was overgrown with trees and vegetation, which could have obscured the North Korean soldiers' views and led them to cross the border.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff said they believed North Korea might expand border construction activities that began around April, possibly aimed at making it harder for North Korean civilians and soldiers to defect to South Korea as the North Korean leadership seeks to tighten control over its people.
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“Our military is closely monitoring North Korean military activities in frontline areas, remaining vigilant against any unforeseen incidents,” the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
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The border incursion comes amid rising tensions between the war-torn rivals, who have waged a Cold War-style mind-blowing war in recent weeks and made it clear they are no longer bound by a landmark 2018 arms pact aimed at easing tensions.
The heavily guarded border of the Korean peninsula, known as the Demilitarized Zone, has sometimes been the site of bloodshed and violent clashes between the two hostile nations. The Military Demarcation Line (DMZ) separates the North and South Korean borders within the 248-kilometer (154-mile) long and 4-kilometer (2.5-mile) wide DMZ. The zone is riddled with an estimated 2 million land mines and is guarded by barbed wire fences, tank booby traps and combat troops from both sides. It's a legacy of the 1950-1953 Korean War, which ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty.
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