South Korea fired warning shots after North Korean soldiers crossed the border again: Seoul

South Korea’s military, on Friday (Jun 21) said that they fired warning shots after North Korean soldiers crossed the heavily fortified border again, on Thursday, in the third such incursion this month. The recent incident comes after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s historic visit to the isolated nation.

What we know about the incident

The South Korean military said dozens of North Korean soldiers breached the demarcation line, on Thursday (Jun 20) around 11:00 am (local time), prompting Seoul’s army personnel to broadcast warnings and fire warning shots after which Pyongyang’s soldiers retreated.

“Several North Korean soldiers who were working inside the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) on the central front line crossed the Military Demarcation Line,” said South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

They added, “After our military’s warning broadcasts and warning shots, the North Korean soldiers retreated back northward.”

A report by the South Korean news agency Yonhap citing the officials said that the incursion appeared to be accidental, adding that the North Korean soldiers returned to their jobs soon after and continued to work into the night after returning to their side of the border.

The incident came after Putin’s first visit to Pyongyang in 24 years, where the Russian president and the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a strategic treaty which included a commitment to come to each other’s aid if attacked.

Previous incidents

The crossing on Thursday marked the third border violation by North Korea after similar incidents on June 18 and June 9.

The latest crossing, on Thursday, came days after South Korean officials said dozens of North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the DMZ, on Tuesday (Jun 18) but retreated after warning shots were fired.

The JCS, at the time, said that landmine explosions near the border also injured multiple North Korean soldiers. Pyongyang, as per the South Korean officials, recently deployed troops in the area to clear scrub and lay mines, as relations between the two Koreas plummet.

As per Yonhap, border violations came as North Korea has been deploying large numbers of troops in front-line areas since April to plant mines, erect walls, and what is said to be anti-tank barriers and reinforce roads.

(With inputs from agencies)