North Korean troops cross border with warning shots from South – BBC News

North Korean troops briefly crossed the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on Tuesday ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's rare state visit to Pyongyang, South Korea said.

The soldiers retreated after the South Korean military fired warning shots, but Seoul believes their border violation was not intentional.

South Korea said it believed the troops had crossed the border by mistake, the second such incident in a week.

The border itself is not fenced and the signposts are obscured by the overgrowth of vegetation.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement, “20 to 30 soldiers came within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) about 20 meters below the Military Demarcation Line (MDL)”.

It was the second crossing incident in two weeks, with Seoul saying North Korean troops entered South Korea on June 9 with equipment including pickaxes. They retreated as the South Koreans responded with loudspeaker warnings and warning shots.

The JCS noted that North Korea has been sending large numbers of troops into the DMZ since April to clear vegetation and build fortifications.

Military officials in Seoul noted that North Korean troops have suffered multiple casualties while operating around the DMZ due to landmine explosions during construction efforts.

They added that North Korea completed restoring old guard posts in the region in January before planting new landmines on roads between the countries.

“This action appears to be aimed at strengthening control over North Korean soldiers and residents, including preventing defection,” the JCS said.

The DMZ is one of the most heavily defended areas in the world, a no-man's land that stands as a remnant of the Cold War. From Gyeonggi-do in the west to Gangwon-do in the east, the 160-mile (258km) long DMZ bisects the Korean Peninsula.

196 people defected from North Korea to South Korea in 2023, almost none crossing the secured border. Most migrated instead to China and then to South Korea.

The latest crossing comes as North Korea welcomes Russian President Vladimir Putin for his first visit to the country in more than 20 years, after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited Russia last year.

The US has raised concerns about deepening ties between the two countries, expressing concern over North Korea's supply of missiles to fight in Ukraine.

Along with the United States, South Korea has also accused North Korea of ​​supplying Russia with artillery and other equipment, possibly in exchange for food and military aid.

Tensions between Seoul and Pyongyang have risen in recent weeks, as South Korea resumed a propaganda campaign toward the North in response to Mr. Kim's regime sending hundreds of balloons carrying garbage across the border.