South Korea has confirmed it fired warning shots after North Korean troops briefly crossed the heavily guarded border earlier this week.
The incident unfolded on Tuesday afternoon when several North Korean soldiers entered the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) and moved across the military demarcation line before retreating back to their side.
Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the shots were a defensive measure to ensure the soldiers withdrew.
According to North Korean state media, South Korea fired more than 10 rounds from a machine gun, which Pyongyang denounced as a deliberate act of provocation that could escalate border tensions.
The episode came as President Lee Jae Myung departed Seoul for diplomatic visits to Tokyo and Washington.
His government has promised to pursue dialogue with Pyongyang, but North Korea has so far dismissed these gestures. Recently, Kim Jong Un’s sister openly rejected reconciliation efforts, further straining ties.
North Korea has also been fortifying its border since last year, working to close off access points along the DMZ.
The area is overgrown with vegetation, and occasional incursions—accidental or deliberate—have long added to friction between the two sides.
Despite Lee’s decision to halt loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts aimed at the North, Pyongyang has shown no sign of softening its stance.
With both countries still technically at war since the 1953 armistice, the warning shots highlight the fragility of peace on the peninsula and the risk of escalation along one of the world’s most volatile borders.