The South Korean army fired warning shots towards the North, in response to “the brief crossing” of the border by Pyongyang’s military which occurred on Sunday 10 June around 12.30 local time, 5.30 Italian time. The incident was reported by the Joint Chiefs of Staff Command in Seoul, which subsequently detected no further unusual activity.
According to the Yonhap news agency, about 20 North Korean soldiers crossed the border into South Korea at the 38th parallel, turning back immediately after the warning messages were sent. Colonel Lee Sung-jun, spokesman for the Seoul Command, provided some clarifications. The North’s military was likely engaged in an unspecified task inside the Korean Demilitarized Zone without intending to overflow and defect, considering the area’s poor visibility and the fact that they returned as soon as they heard the shots.
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Seoul resumes anti-Pyongyang propaganda with loudspeakers
The Seoul Command also made it known that it believes that Pyongyang is installing its loudspeakers along the border, as a reaction to the resumption of anti-Pyongyang broadcasts by the South for the first time in almost six years: “So far nothing has been broadcast and We are closely monitoring further developments and military preparedness.” The resumption of transmissions from the South is also a response to the recent launches of balloons to transport waste and manure from the North. Sunday’s incursion thus comes amid growing cross-border tensions between the two Koreas.
