North Korea on Saturday accused South Korea of heightening tensions after troops from the South allegedly fired warning shots at its soldiers near the border.
According to state media outlet KCNA, the confrontation took place on Tuesday while North Korean soldiers were engaged in efforts to permanently seal the heavily militarized frontier dividing the two Koreas.
The claim was issued in a statement by Army Lieutenant General Ko Jong Chol.
Describing the shooting as a “serious provocation,” Ko alleged that South Korean forces used a machine gun to fire over 10 warning rounds toward the North’s personnel.
“This is a very serious prelude that would inevitably drive the situation in the southern border area where a huge number of forces are stationing in confrontation with each other to the uncontrollable phase,” Ko said.
Officials in Seoul have not yet confirmed the incident.
The latest tension comes just months after an April skirmish, when South Korean troops fired warning shots after about 10 North Korean soldiers briefly crossed into the demilitarised zones.
The DMZ remains one of the most dangerous places in the world, with heavy fortifications, landmines, and thick vegetation.
North Korea previously announced in October that it was working to completely seal off the border, notifying United States forces to avoid “misjudgment and accidental conflict.” Soon after, Pyongyang demolished parts of unused but symbolic roads and railway links to the South.
Ko warned in his latest remarks that any attempts to obstruct these sealing operations would be met with retaliation.
“If the act of restraining or obstructing the project unrelated to the military character persists, our army will regard it as deliberate military provocation and take corresponding countermeasure,” he said.
Border clashes between the rivals have not always involved gunfire. Last year, North Korea floated thousands of balloons filled with trash across the frontier in response to propaganda leaflets sent by South Korean activists.
In turn, Seoul restarted its border loudspeakers, blasting K-pop songs and world news, for the first time in six years. Pyongyang retaliated with mysterious transmissions along the border, which unsettled South Korean communities nearby.