South Korea Fires Warning Shots After North Korean Troops Briefly Cross Border

South Korea’s military said Saturday it fired warning shots earlier this week after several North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the heavily fortified border, prompting a sharp rebuke from Pyongyang.

The incident occurred Tuesday in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) when North Korean troops “working inside the DMZ crossed the Military Demarcation Line,” Seoul’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. South Korean forces responded with warning fire, after which the soldiers retreated.

North Korea’s military later accused the South of a “deliberate provocation,” saying troops had been working to permanently seal the frontier. State media said Seoul fired more than 10 shots with a machine gun, warning of “uncontrollable” consequences if such actions continue.

The clash comes as President Lee Jae Myung seeks to ease tensions with Pyongyang, pledging to build “military trust” and pursue dialogue without preconditions. But North Korea has rejected talks, and its leader Kim Jong Un this week urged a “rapid expansion” of nuclear capabilities, citing ongoing US-South Korean military drills.

Border incidents remain a flashpoint: in April, South Korea also fired warning shots after North Korean troops crossed the frontier. Pyongyang has since destroyed symbolic inter-Korean roads and rail links as part of efforts to shut down the southern border permanently.