The South Korean military said the reason for firing a warning shot towards North Korea was that a group of North Korean soldiers crossed the Defensive Military Zone (DMZ) to the south of the border. The incident comes as Pyongyang accuses Seoul of taking an action that could turn the region into an "uncontrollable" situation.
According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff, North Korean soldiers who were working in the border area were fenced with mines and crossed the line. After South Korea fired warning shots, they retreated to the north.
North Korean state media quoted Lieutenant General Ko Jong Chol as saying the act was "intentional and pre-calculated provincecution", and said the South Korean military used machine guns to fire more than 10 warning words. He warned that the situation in the southern border area, where many forces are concentrated, could quickly fall into a state of uncontrol.
North Korea insists its soldiers are carrying out a project to permanently block the border, including the demolition of iconic roads and railways connecting the two sides. Mr. Ko warned that any obstruction would be considered a "military province" and would be responded to accordingly.
The latest incident comes shortly after South Korean President Lee Jae Myung pledged to promote dialogue with Pyongyang to resure confidence and ease tensions. However, in parallel, South Korea and the US are still conducting the annual joint exercise that Mr. Lee affirmed is "defensive".
North Korea has repeatedly criticized these drills as an aggressive exercise. Kim Jong Un's leaders have recently called for a "quick expansion" of the nuclear arsenal, citing the risk of US-South Korean military activities "sparkling a conflict". Kim Yo Jong, the leader's younger sister, also declared Seoul "cannot be a diplomatic partner" and said that Mr. Lee " Wasn't capable of changing history".
Experts say Pyongyang is accusing Seoul of implementing a "double-sided" approach: Calling for dialogue while still increasing military activity. This makes the prospect of improving inter-Korean relations more difficult.
