South Korean soldiers fired warning shots to deter North Korean soldiers who had crossed the rivals’ land border temporarily, marking the second such incident this month, according to South Korea’s military.

The South Korean military has reported heightened construction activities by North Korea along their heavily fortified border. These activities include the installation of suspected anti-tank barriers, road reinforcements, and the planting of land mines.

Despite several explosions caused by these mines resulting in casualties among North Korean soldiers, the construction work has continued unabated, as confirmed by the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, approximately 20 to 30 North Korean soldiers crossed the military demarcation line that divides the two countries at around 8:30 a.m. while engaged in unspecified construction work on the northern side of the border.

The incursion prompted South Korean soldiers to issue verbal warnings and fire warning shots. Subsequently, the North Korean soldiers retreated, and the South’s military reported no further suspicious activity thereafter.

The South Korean military fired warning shots on June 11th after another group of North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the Military Demarcation Line (MDL). According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Tuesday’s incident occurred in a different area along the central frontline region. They clarified that they do not believe the North Korean soldiers intentionally intruded into South Korean territory and confirmed that the North did not retaliate.

The South’s military has pointed out that the border area is densely vegetated with overgrown trees and plants, which could have obstructed the visibility of North Korean soldiers and contributed to their unintentional crossing of the border.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff have expressed concerns that North Korea may expand its ongoing border construction activities, which began around April. They suspect these efforts are aimed at fortifying the border to prevent defections by North Korean civilians or soldiers, as part of Pyongyang’s broader strategy to tighten control over its populace.

"Our military is closely monitoring North Korean military activities in the frontline area while guarding against accidental situations," stated the Joint Chiefs of Staff in a recent statement.

The border intrusions come amidst escalating tensions between the two war-divided Koreas, who have recently engaged in Cold War-style psychological warfare and signalled their departure from their landmark military agreement in 2018 aimed at reducing tensions.

The heavily fortified border between the Koreas, known as the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), has historically been a site of occasional bloodshed and violent confrontations between the rivals. The military demarcation line delineates the border within the DMZ, which spans 248 kilometers (154 miles) in length and 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) in width.

The zone is strewn with an estimated 2 million mines and is additionally guarded by barbed wire fences, tank traps, and combat troops on both sides. This heavily militarized state is a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War, which concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

Image source: AP News