On Tuesday (June 11), the South Korean military stated that several North Korean soldiers recently briefly crossed the inter-Korean border and quickly retreated after South Korean soldiers fired warning shots.
According to the report by Yonhap News Agency on June 11, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff stated that on June 9 at 12:30 PM, several North Korean soldiers operating within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the central front briefly crossed the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) before swiftly retreating north after South Korean troops broadcasted warnings and fired warning shots. Following that, there was no further action from the North Korean soldiers.
The South Korean military mentioned that they are closely monitoring the movements of North Korean forces to take necessary measures if needed.
As per information from the South Korean military, around 20-30 North Korean soldiers crossed the border, most of them carrying shovels and other tools, while some were armed, operating within a 50-meter range on the South Korean side.
Chief of the Joint Public Affairs Office Lee Sung-jun stated during a routine press conference that the overstepping North Korean soldiers likely lost their way in the densely vegetated non-military zone and immediately retreated to the North after warnings from South Korean forces, with no intention of violating the military demarcation line.
This incident unfolded amid escalating tension between North and South Korea. In response to North Korea floating propaganda leaflets into South Korean territory through balloons, the South Korean military resumed loudspeaker broadcasts to North Korea on the same day. North Korea also set up loudspeakers to broadcast messages towards South Korea at relevant locations but hasn’t initiated broadcasts towards the South yet.
According to reports by Reuters, North Korea stated that its actions of floating balloons into South Korea were in response to activities by South Korean activists who launched balloons into North Korea. These activists distribute leaflets critical of the North Korean regime under Kim Jong Un, as well as USB drives containing South Korean popular music (K-pop) and television dramas, among other items.
North Korea is highly sensitive to any criticism of its political system since most North Koreans cannot access foreign information through official channels.
On Sunday evening, Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un, issued a warning that if South Korea continues to broadcast loud propaganda messages towards North Korea and allows balloons to disseminate leaflets in North Korea, Pyongyang will take “new countermeasures”.
The Korean Demilitarized Zone, stretching 248 kilometers long and 4 kilometers wide, is the most heavily guarded border in the world. It is estimated that about two million landmines are scattered along the border and its vicinity, with barbed wire, tank traps, and combat units stationed on both sides of the border.
This situation is a legacy of the Korean War from 1950 to 1953, which ended with a ceasefire rather than a formal peace treaty.