South Korean soldiers fired warning shots after North Korean troops briefly crossed the border for the second time this month.
About 20 to 30 North Korean soldiers were doing construction work in the area when they crossed the military demarcation line that marks the border between the two countries, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said, according to The Associated Press.
The soldiers withdrew after South Korea broadcast a warning and fired warning shots.
A similar incident occurred last week when about 20 to 30 North Korean soldiers, some with construction tools and some armed, accidentally crossed the border, and South Korean troops fired warning shots. That incident took place on June 11.
The 150-mile “Demilitarized Zone” or DMZ is the most heavily armed border in the world, the AP said.
As in the previous incident, the South Korean military admitted that the border area is dense with overgrown trees, and that soldiers may not have seen signs or knew exactly where the border was. Reuters reported that they drove about 20 meters into South Korea.
The two warning shots follow back-and-forth provocations between the two countries.
North Korea sent balloons filled with trash to the South. The balloons contained ‘filth’ including cigarette butts, waste paper and plastic bags.
In response, South Korea began playing Korean pop music on its speakers and engaging in anti-Pyongyang propaganda, in what it promised would be an “unbearable” retaliation for the balloons.
The AP noted that North Korea’s construction began around April and could be aimed at making it more difficult for North Korean citizens to move south as tensions rise.
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