South Korean soldiers fired warning shots after North Korean soldiers crossed the border, apparently by mistake

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean troops fired warning shots to repel North Korean troops who crossed the rivals' heavily defended land border on Tuesday. Second time this month, the military forces of the south. Both intrusions are considered unintentional.

About 20 to 30 North Korean soldiers who were working on construction crossed the military demarcation line that serves as the boundary between the two countries in the demilitarized zone. South Korea Joint Chiefs of Staff. The troops retreated and fired warning shots after the South broadcast the warning, and the South's military did not observe any suspicious activity after that, the joint chiefs said.

While the border area is thick with overgrown trees and vegetation, and while North Korean soldiers may not have known exactly where the border was, the South's military said it did not believe the soldiers crossed into the South on purpose. Answers not returned.

The incursion comes as tensions have risen between the rivals involved in recent weeks Cold War-style psychological warfare and made it clear they were no longer bound by their landmark military deal in 2018 to ease tensions.

Soldiers from the South also fired warning shots after another group of North Korean troops briefly crossed the border on June 11. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said Tuesday's incursion occurred in a different area along the central front-line region.

Korea's heavily guarded border area, known as the Demilitarized Zone, has occasionally been the site of bloodshed and violent clashes between the rivals. The Military Demarcation Line marks the border between the two Koreas within the DMZ, which is 248 kilometers (154 mi) long and 4 kilometers (2.5 mi) wide.

The area is strewn with an estimated 2 million mines and is protected by barbed wire fences, tank traps and combat troops on both sides. It is a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty.

The South's military has noted North Korea's increasing activity along the border to erect anti-tank barriers, fortify roads and plant land mines. South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the operation was continuing unabated despite several explosions caused by mines that killed or injured an unspecified number of North Korean soldiers.

The construction began around April and was probably aimed at making it more difficult for North Korean civilians or soldiers. fault to the south As Pyongyang's leadership seeks to tighten control over its people, according to the joint chiefs.

“Our military forces are closely monitoring North Korea's military activities in front-line areas and guarding against accidental situations,” the joint chiefs said in a statement.