North Korea accused South Korea of a “dangerous provocation” during a recent incident at the border of the two countries, adding to tensions as Pyongyang chafes at the annual joint US-South Korean military drills that are underway.
South Korean soldiers earlier this week fired more than 10 warning shots with a machine gun at North Korean soldiers who were building a barrier intended to permanently block the border, according to a North Korea military statement published by state media KCNA.
“The recent incident, timed to coincide with the large-scale joint military drills being staged in the region of the ROK, cannot but be construed as a premeditated and deliberate provocation aimed at military conflict,” North Korean Army Lieutenant General Ko Jong Chol said in the statement. ROK stands for the Republic of Korea, which is South Korea's official name.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said via text message that its forces fired warning shots on Aug. 19 after North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the Military Demarcation Line at the middle front line. The soldiers soon retreated, and the South Korean military said it's closely monitoring further activity from the North.
New South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has sought to ease inter-Korean tensions since taking office in June, but North Korea has so far dismissed the possibility of rapprochement — North Korean Kim Jong Un's sister said there is no role for Seoul to play in regional diplomacy.
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