It was belatedly learned that on the 19th, more than 20 North Korean soldiers crossed south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), prompting our military to fire warning shots.
According to the military on the 23rd, more than 20 North Korean soldiers intruded south of the MDL in Paju, Gyeonggi, on the morning of the 19th. The military issued multiple prior warning broadcasts, and when they continued moving south, it carried out warning shots. The military said the North Korean soldiers moved back north without any particular reaction after our military's warning shots.
At the time, the North Korean soldiers were assessed to have been deployed to work around the MDL, including scorched-earth work and mine laying. Some of them were armed. The military authorities are said to judge it highly likely that the North Korean soldiers at work temporarily crossed the MDL.
On the same day as the MDL intrusion by the North Korean soldiers, one North Korean soldier crossed the cease-fire line in Cheorwon, Gangwon, to defect. Given the time and location, the military views the two incidents as unrelated. A military official said, "Our military is closely monitoring the movements of North Korean soldiers and is taking necessary measures in accordance with operational procedures."