South Korea Fires Warning Shots as NK Troops Violate Border
South Korea fired warning shots after North Korean (NK) troops unintentionally crossed the heavily guarded MDL (Military Demarcation Line), separating the two nations while constructing border fortifications on the NK side of the border early on Tuesday (Jun 18) at around 08:30 local time, once again igniting past feuds between the two Korea’s.
The two nations technically still remain at war as the 1950–1953 civil conflict ended in an armistice. The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas is one of the most heavily mined and fortified places on earth.
South Korea’s Joint Chief of Staff (JCS) reported, “Dozens of NK troops invaded the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) today and retreated northwards after warning shots were fired by SK soldiers.”
He added, “The NK soldiers were seen constructing barbed wire and anti-tank structures, as well as laying land mines on the northern side of the border. They worked in clear sight of South Korean border observation posts.”
The JCS maintained that the MDL crossings by NK troops were accidental, but the construction of fortifications and blocking all points of previous inter-Korea railway and road crossings that were established under the 2018 inter-Korea agreements aimed to improve relations between the two nations.
The incident is similar to a previous incident earlier this month on June 9, when NK soldiers accidentally crossed the MDL while constructing anti-tank barriers and other fortifications. Relations between the two nations have deteriorated in recent days, with both sides scrapping the previously signed 2018 agreements.”
Under the agreements, Pyongyang had removed landmines from several border areas, but now it seems the supreme leader has ordered NK troops to reinforce fortifications and lay mines once again as relations fall apart.
Flashpoint of new North Korea-South Korea conflict
Since earlier in May this year, a South Korean activist group called “Fighters for Free North Korea” had been sending large ballons with hundreds of thousands of anti-North Korea leaflets condemning supreme leader Kim Jong Un as well as over 5,000 USB devices containing K-pop and K-dramas into NK.
Given that this uncalled provocation came from an activist organization and was not state-sponsored, SK officially could not accept responsibility for it.
NK interpreted the balloons as Seoul’s instigation attempt and responded by sending large helium balloons filled with human waste and trash into SK since late May, sending over 560 balloons across the DMZ.
SK had threatened to resume the infamous propaganda and pop music broadcasts through loudspeaker grids positioned along the DMZ that were previously suspended under the 2018 inter-Korean agreements, and earlier this week, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol suspended the agreements, which will now enable SK to resume those broadcasts, further provocating NK’s Kim Jong Un even more.
But Seoul must be careful, as even though balloon warfare has been in play between the two Koreas since the 1950’s, NK is known for having chemical and biological weapons programs that were used to assassinate the supreme leader’s estranged half-brother, Kim Jong-nam, back in 2001. If NK decides to send over balloons filled with agents of biological or chemical warfare, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Russian President Set to Visit North Korea
Tensions between the nations remain at an all-time high now, given Russian President Vladimir Putin’s historic Pyongyang visit scheduled later on Tuesday (June 18). It will be the Russian Prez’s first official visit to North Korean mainland in 24 years as the leader arrives to attend a summit meeting with supreme leader Kim Jong-Un.
North Korea has supported the Russian President’s invasion of Ukraine since the very beginning, stating them as Russia’s internal matters, all the while voicing strong opposition against the U.S. and NATO-led economic sanctions on its ally.
Given the recent rows over India, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Thailand, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates refusal to sign the Ukraine peace summit held yesterday, Putin’s visit to North Korea is concerning for the United States and South Korea, as it may be the precursor of a new conflict on the global front in the upcoming days.
