The World Today
The U.S.-led United Nations Command (UNC) reported Sunday that nearly 30 North Korean soldiers recently crossed the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), prompting the South Korean military to respond with warning shots, all while Pyongyang was carrying out construction and maintenance work along the border.
The incursion took place in an area where reinforcement work was underway, according to statements by a spokesman for the UNC Military Armistice Commission (UNCMAC) reported by the South Korean news agency Yonhap.
In this context, despite repeated warning signals issued by South Korean forces, North Korean soldiers failed to react in any way, prompting South Korean troops deployed in the vicinity to open warning fire in a designated area in an attempt to force the North Korean soldiers to return to their territory.
The command spokesman provided these details in response to a query from Yonhap News Agency, a day after North Korea accused Seoul's troops of firing more than 10 shots while its personnel were working on a border project the previous week.
An investigation into the incident has already been launched by UNCMAC members, and according to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff , the border violation took place last Tuesday.
It should be noted that the UNC has confirmed having received advance notice from the North Korean military regarding the aforementioned construction activities planned within certain areas of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas. However, the crossing of the DMZ exceeds the limits for such activities.
"The UNC recognizes the value of advance notification and open dialogue as essential tools to avoid misunderstandings and unintended incidents," the spokesperson said, also emphasizing the command's willingness to engage with the North Korean military on this and other issues related to existing agreements.
Since April last year, North Korean soldiers have been observed installing physical barriers, such as barbed wire fences, near the dividing line, apparently with the intention of reinforcing the border with the South.
