The South Korean military has fired warning shots after a group of North Korean soldiers crossed the Military Demarcation Line between the two countries. The incident occurred last week on the eastern section of the heavily fortified border, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Sunday.
After the warning shots, the North Korean soldiers returned to their side, and the South Korean military has not detected any other unusual activity. According to Yonhap, the soldiers were likely on patrol when they crossed the line.
First such incident in 2026.
This is the first officially reported incident this year in which South Korean forces fired warning shots at North Korean soldiers crossing the demarcation line.
The exact date of the incident and the number of soldiers involved were not given. The South Korean military said only that it involved several soldiers and that the actions were taken in accordance with established operational procedures.
According to South Korean military rules, when North Korean soldiers approach the line, a warning is first issued, and warning shots can be fired if they cross it.
Seoul is closely monitoring North Korea's movements
“Our military is closely monitoring North Korea's movements and maintaining a high level of combat readiness“, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said, quoted by Reuters.
According to Yonhap, North Korean soldiers violated the demarcation line 17 times in 2025. Some of these incidents in recent years have been linked to North Korea's construction and engineering activities near the border.
Tensions ahead of major US-South Korean maneuvers
The incident comes at a sensitive time. From August 17 to 27, South Korea and the United States are holding the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield joint military exercises, which will involve about 18,000 South Korean soldiers. Washington and Seoul describe the maneuvers as defensive, while Pyongyang traditionally sees them as preparations for war.
North Korea has already warned that it will take "strong" retaliatory action against the exercises. Pyongyang also continues missile tests, conducting new ballistic launches in August.
Just a day before the announcement of the border incident, South Korean President Lee Jae-myeon again called for dialogue with Pyongyang and for the gradual establishment of a peace regime that could eventually replace the 1953 armistice.
The two Koreas are still formally at war, as the 1950-1953 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. It is the Military Demarcation Line that separates the two countries within the Demilitarized Zone.