South Korea Fires Warning After North Korean Army 'Nyelonong' At Border

Illustration - Map of South Korea and North Korea. BETWEEN/Pixabay/pri. (ANTARA/Pixabay)

JAKARTA - The South Korean military opened warning shots after several North Korean soldiers crossed the border, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. The North Korean army withdrew after the warning shot.

They violated the Military Demarcation Line which passed through the middle of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) at around 11.00 (02.00 GMT) on Thursday, June 20 morning.

At least this is the third incident this month. The South Korean military opened warning shots on Tuesday, June 18, after dozens of North Korean soldiers violated the demarcation line.

Recent incidents have marked a rare increase in activity near the demarcation line.

The incident came after Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Pyongyang for the first time in 24 years this week.

Kim Yo Jong, the younger sister of North Korean leader, separately issued a statement condemning South Korean activists who on Thursday night flew a balloon carrying leaflets towards North Korea, saying they would soon be criticized by their own people.

The launches of the balloons have been a source of increasing tension between the two Koreas, as North Korea flies its own balloons carrying garbage to the South, causing some property damage.

Seoul replied by continuing broadcast via loudspeakers at the border.

Kim did not say how North Korea would respond, but South Korea's mention of criticism of the balloon launch most likely referred to the demands of some residents near the border for such activities to be stopped for security reasons.