On June 18th, prior to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to North Korea, more than twenty North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the inter-Korean border, only to retreat after warning shots were fired by South Korean soldiers. This incident marked the second recent violation of the border by North Korean soldiers.
According to reports from the Korean News Agency, on June 18th, around 8:30 a.m., two to three dozen North Korean soldiers were reportedly conducting operations within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) at the inter-Korean central front when they briefly crossed the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) before retreating to the North after receiving warnings over broadcast and warning shots from South Korean forces.
Officials from the Joint Chiefs of Staff in South Korea stated that the area where the North Korean soldiers crossed over this time was different from the incident that occurred on June 9th. The Joint Chiefs of Staff suggest that these recent border violations by North Korean soldiers may be related to the frequent operations conducted by North Korea within the non-military zone.
Since around April this year, North Korean military personnel have been deployed in various frontline areas north of the DMZ, engaging in activities such as laying mines, repairing tactical roads, and carrying out other operations to strengthen their vigilance forces.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff in South Korea believe that the prompt withdrawal of the North Korean soldiers after the warning shots indicate that, similar to the previous incident, the North Korean soldiers simply crossed the border unintentionally, rather than deliberately violating the military demarcation line.
They further noted that the lush vegetation within the non-military zone makes it difficult to discern the boundary markings.
The North Korean soldiers’ border crossing incident occurred as Russian President Putin was set to visit North Korea. The Kremlin confirmed on June 17th that Putin would be conducting a state visit to North Korea on June 18-19, which was later officially confirmed by North Korean authorities without providing detailed information.
Since the end of last month, North Korea has been sending hundreds of balloons carrying trash into the border area, escalating tensions between North and South Korea. In response, South Korea resumed the use of loudspeakers to communicate with North Korea and temporarily suspended the 2018 agreement aimed at easing military tensions.
The recent confrontational actions between North and South Korea have raised the risk of a rapid escalation in the Korean Peninsula situation and could potentially impact the approximately 28,500 U.S. troops stationed in South Korea.