1 week Ago By The Telegraph
South Korean soldiers fired warning shots at North Korean troops after nearly a dozen crossed the demilitarised zone separating the warring nations. Seoul’s military said about ten North Korean soldiers violated the demarcation line on Tuesday but returned to the North’s territory, marking a potentially significant escalation in tensions between the two countries. “Our military conducted a warning broadcast and fired warning shots, and the North Korean soldiers moved north,” Seoul’s joint chiefs of staff said in a statement, adding the incident took place at 5pm (8am GMT).
South Korea is closely monitoring North Korean activities across the heavily-fortified border that divides the peninsula, they said. The 155 mile-long Korean Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) cuts the Korean peninsula roughly in half and is the world’s most heavily armed border. It is not yet clear why the soldiers crossed the border but it comes amid Kim Jong-un’s increasing threats of war against Seoul .
Last June, North Korean troops briefly crossed the same line, prompting South Korea to fire warning shots. Seoul officials later assessed that the soldiers, who were carrying construction tools in a wooded area, didn’t deliberately commit the border intrusion as the military demarcation line signs had not been clearly visible. An estimated two million mines are strewed close to the border, which is also guarded by barbed wire fences, tank traps and combat troops on both sides.
North Korea, which has aligned with Russia over its war in Ukraine and sent thousands of troops, has continued to flaunt its nuclear capabilities and increased long-range missile tests, sparking scorn from its regional neighbours. On Monday, the South’s military said about 1,500 North Koreans were working on barbed wire installations and land work in the demilitarised zone, as the North was conducting military exercises. The two Koreas are still technically at war after their 1950-53 war ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.
Donald Trump has said he would reach out to Kim again to resume denuclearisation negotiations, but North Korea has not responded to his remarks and claims US hostilities against it have deepened since the start of Mr Trump’s second term. North Korea has launched thousands of balloons with bags of trash attached to them since late May, saying it was responding to balloons carrying propaganda leaflets flown by South Korean activists. Over the weekend, North Korea allowed foreigners to enter the country to take part in the first Pyongyang Marathon held in six years.
The international running event is one of several events celebrating the birthday of Kim Il-sung, the founder of North Korea and the grandfather of current leader Kim Jong-un, on April 15. In a rare show of openness, around 200 athletes from across the world, including China, Ethiopia, Romania and Morocco participated. North Korea sealed its borders completely in early 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic and has been hesitant to allow foreigners back into the country.
It briefly experimented with Western tourism in February, allowing visitors to enter the remote eastern city of Rason for the first time in five years. However, the tours were abruptly cancelled in March, without explanation..
