Border Skirmish: Shots Fired as North Korean Soldiers Cross

South Korean forces fired warning shots at North Korean soldiers who crossed the heavily guarded border zone separating the two countries on Tuesday, marking the second such incident in less than two weeks amid escalating tensions between the neighboring nations.

The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that around 20 to 30 North Korean soldiers, carrying work tools, breached the military demarcation line that runs through the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) which divides the two countries, according to Yonhap News Agency.

The incursion occurred at approximately 8:30 a.m. local time in the central section of the border. In response, the South Korean military broadcasted warnings and fired warning shots at the North Koreans, who promptly retreated to their side of the border. South Korean military officials believe the incursion was likely accidental, as there was no further confrontation between the two sides.

The joint chiefs suspect that the North Korean soldiers were involved in construction work at the border, possibly aimed at making it more challenging for prospective defectors to leave the country.

This incident follows a similar one that took place just last Sunday, where 20 North Korean soldiers crossed the border while working in the DMZ. It remains unclear if the previous breach occurred at the same location, but it was also described as happening in the central section of the border. Like the recent incident, the previous breach was resolved after South Korean troops fired warning shots.

This border violation comes at a time of heightened tensions between North and South Korea. In late May, North Korea sent hundreds of balloons carrying trash and feces across the border into South Korea. Pyongyang claimed that the trash balloons were in response to ongoing efforts by South Korean activists and North Korean defectors to send propaganda material to North Korea using balloons. The material included leaflets criticizing Kim Jong-un’s regime and USB thumb drives containing South Korean media such as K-pop songs and K-dramas. North Korea has continued this provocative action, sending hundreds more trash balloons across the border this month, which has angered South Korean officials. In response, Seoul has suspended a 2018 deal between the two countries aimed at reducing border tensions.

The incident also precedes Russian President Vladimir Putin’s first visit to North Korea in 24 years, scheduled for Tuesday, to attend a summit meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. Prior to his arrival, Putin expressed gratitude to North Korea and Kim for their support of his invasion of Ukraine and pledged to collaborate with Pyongyang to overcome international sanctions. Putin’s visit is expected to further raise concerns in Washington and Seoul about the deepening military cooperation between Russia and North Korea.