North Korea accused South Korea of a "dangerous provocation" during a recent border incident between the two countries, escalating tensions as Pyongyang is dissatisfied with the ongoing annual joint US-South Korea military exercises, UNN reports, citing Bloomberg.
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South Korean soldiers earlier this week fired more than 10 warning machine gun shots at North Korean soldiers who were building a barrier intended to permanently block the border, according to a statement by the North Korean military published by state media KCNA.
"The recent incident, timed with large-scale joint military exercises being conducted in the Republic of Korea region, cannot but be interpreted as a deliberate and intentional provocation aimed at military conflict," said Lieutenant General Ko Jong Chol of the North Korean army. The Republic of Korea is the official name of South Korea.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a text message that its troops fired warning shots on August 19 after North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the military demarcation line on the central front line. The soldiers soon retreated, and the South Korean military stated that they are closely monitoring further activity from the DPRK.
South Korea's new president, Lee Jae-myung, has sought to ease inter-Korean tensions since taking office in June, but North Korea has so far rejected the possibility of rapprochement – North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's sister stated that Seoul has no role in regional diplomacy.