Seoul: South Korea’s military has confirmed it fired warning shots earlier this week at North Korean soldiers who briefly crossed the heavily fortified border, an incident Pyongyang has condemned as a “deliberate provocation” that risks “uncontrollable” tensions. The confrontation occurred on Tuesday at approximately 3:00 PM local time in Seoul, with South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) confirming the event. Following the warning shots, the North Korean troops retreated back across the military demarcation line.

The incident comes as North Korea continues its efforts, which began last year, to permanently seal its border with the South. This includes blowing up sections of roads and railway tracks that once connected the two countries. The Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) which separates the two nations, is not fenced and has dense vegetation that can obscure the exact location of the border, leading to such incursions.

Pyongyang’s response and political context

In a statement carried by state media, North Korean Army Lt Gen Ko Jong Chol said that South Korea’s military used a machine gun to fire more than 10 warning shots towards its soldiers. He warned that such actions could drive the situation in the border area to an “uncontrollable phase.”

The timing of this incident is particularly significant. It occurred just as new South Korean President Lee Jae Myung departed for a visit to Tokyo and Washington. Despite Lee’s efforts to improve inter-Korean ties, including a recent suspension of loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts at the border, North Korea has been dismissive of his government.

The two Koreas have been technically at war since the 1950-1953 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. While the countries have not shelled each other in years, periodic incidents like this continue to flare tensions along the world’s most heavily guarded border.