North Korean soldiers temporarily cross border, resulting in warning shots

South Korean soldiers fired warning shots after North Korean troops briefly crossed the border for the second time this month.

About 20-30 North Korean soldiers were doing construction work in the area when they crossed the military demarcation line that is the border between the two countries, South Korea’s joint chiefs of staff said, according to The Associated Press.

The soldiers retreated after South Korea broadcast a warning and fired warning shots.

A similar incident occurred last week when about 20-30 North Korean soldiers, some carrying construction tools and some armed, accidentally crossed the border, and South Korean troops fired warning shots. That incident took place June 11.

The 155-mile-long “Demilitarized Zone,” or DMZ, is the world’s most heavily armed border, the AP noted.

As with the previous incident, South Korea’s military admitted the border area is dense with overgrown trees, and the soldiers may not have seen signs or known exactly where the border was. Reuters reported they crossed about 65 feet into South Korea.

The two warning shot events follow back-and-forth provocations between the two countries.

North Korea was sending balloons filled with trash to the south. The balloons contained “filth” including cigarette butts, waste paper and plastic bags.

In response, South Korea began playing Korean pop music on its loudspeakers and anti-Pyongyang propaganda in what it promised would be an “unbearable” retaliation for the balloons.

The AP noted that North Korea’s construction began around April and could be aimed at making it harder for North Korean civilians to move to the south as tensions heighten.