According to South Korea, it fired over ten warning shots at North Korean soldiers near their shared border.
The South Korean military was accused by North Korea earlier this week of engaging in “deliberate provocation” by firing at its soldiers.
Seoul was charged by the nation with “inciting military conflict” and causing “uncontrollable tensions.”
The shooting occurred as North Korean troops were working on a project to fortify their border with their southern neighbor, which intends to permanently seal it.
The firing took place in the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ), a strip of land that lies between the two countries, separating them.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that the North Korean soldiers crossed the military demarcation line between the two countries on Tuesday.
According to South Korean media, the military had first broadcast a warning message before it fired at the North Korean troops.
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After the shots, the soldiers had returned to the North Korean territory without further incident. No casualties were reported.
Ko Jong-chol, North Korean Army Lt Gen, said that the south’s military used a machine gun to fire more than 10 shots.
He also mentioned that the shots occurred during the summertime US-South Korean military training.
Lee Jae Myung, South Korea’s incoming president, has advocated for improved relations with the North and committed to strengthen military trust. However, Pyongyang disregarded such proposals.
Following Lee’s election, Seoul stated that the two sides had stopped propaganda broadcasts along the demilitarized zone, and it later discovered North Korean forces dismantling loudspeakers along the border.
In early April, ten North Korean soldiers breached the border, prompting South Korean troops to fire warning shots.
