North Korea demanded that South Korea cease provocative actions, saying it issued warning shots at its military conducting construction near the Demilitarized Zone.
Vice Chief of Staff of the General Staff of the North Korean Army, Army Lieutenant General Ko Jeong-cheol, asserted this in a statement titled "Dangerous provocative actions that could cause military clashes in the southern border area must be stopped immediately," announced on the 23rd through the Korean Central News Agency.
Ko Jeong-cheol stated, "On August 19, South Korean military aggressors carried out a serious provocation by firing a dozen warning shots with a 12.7 mm heavy machine gun at our soldiers who were conducting permanent barrier construction near the southern border."
He continued, "Our military is currently conducting barrier construction to permanently block the southern border adjacent to the Republic of Korea as part of normal border reinforcement projects," adding that this is to eliminate factors that heighten tensions in the militarily sensitive southern border area and ensure a stable environment, which poses no threat to anyone.
Ko Jeong-cheol noted that he had informed the U.S. Forces Korea of the construction activities on two occasions, June 25 and July 18, to prevent accidental clashes, yet provocative actions that provoke construction personnel continue to persist, becoming even more malicious and increasing explosively.
He claimed, "Provocative broadcasts by loudspeakers are gradually expanding to various units such as the 3rd, 6th, 15th, and 28th divisions of the South Korean military, and now threats of 'we will fire' have become commonplace."
Ko Jeong-cheol stated that South Korea issued warning shots during the joint military exercise, Ulsan Freedom Shield (UFS), and demanded an immediate halt to what he called "planned and deliberate provocations aimed at military clashes," asserting that if actions continue to constrain or obstruct construction unrelated to military issues, our military will regard them as intentional military provocations and take corresponding countermeasures.
Our military responds by issuing warning broadcasts if the North Korean military conducting construction in the Demilitarized Zone approaches the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), and if they cross the MDL, warning shots are fired toward the south. Since April of last year, North Korea has been deploying a large number of troops near the MDL and the northern side of the DMZ to install triple barbed wire and build anti-tank barriers.
There are observations that this is an intention to establish the Military Demarcation Line as a border line according to the 'hostile two nations theory' advocated by Kim Jong-un in late 2023.
Meanwhile, a military official from the Joint Chiefs of Staff said, "Around 3 p.m. on the 19th, North Korean forces crossed the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) in the central front, prompted warning shots, and the North Korean military moved northward," adding, "The military is closely monitoring the activities of the North Korean military in the bordering areas."
The military immediately informed the press when North Korean forces crossed south of the MDL and issued warning shots in June last year and April this year, but did not announce this time.