The North Korean military has breached the demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating the communist nation from South Korea several times this month.
North Korean soldiers were seen inside the demilitarized zone on Tuesday morning, apparently working on a project in the prohibited area.
South Korean military officials released photos of the raid by North Korean troops around 8:30 a.m., who the Joint Chiefs of Staff said were carrying work tools.
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North Korean soldiers work at an undisclosed location near the border area of the demilitarized zone, as seen from a South Korean guard area. (South Korea's Defense Ministry via AP)
South Korean soldiers fired warning shots to scare the North Koreans, who dispersed and re-entered their own borders.
Approximately 20 to 30 North Koreans are believed to have entered the demilitarized zone during the incident.
A similar incursion into the DMZ was reported earlier this month, when a large group of North Korean soldiers crossed the prohibited zone on June 9.
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PAJU, SOUTH KOREA – 05/18/2024: A view of Kaesong from Mount Dora within the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The Korean DMZ extends 160 miles (258 km) and serves as a buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea. It was created in 1953 through the Korean Armistice Agreement, which involved North Korea, China and the United Nations Command. (Photo by Jasmine Leung/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The June 9 incident sparked a similar protest by South Korean guards, who broadcast warning messages and fired warning shots until the intruders fled the area.
These interactions have raised tensions between the two Koreas just as North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is expected to host Russian President Vladimir Putin this week.
Putin will visit Pyongyang for two days starting Tuesday as he makes his first official state visit to the communist nation in 24 years.
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In this undated photo provided Tuesday, June 18, 2024, by South Korea's Defense Ministry, North Korean soldiers work at an undisclosed location near the border area, as seen from a South Korean guard area. South Korean soldiers fired warning shots to repel North Korean soldiers who temporarily crossed the rivals' land border on Tuesday for the second time this month, the South Korean military said. (South Korea's Defense Ministry via AP)
Russia has kept the much smaller and economically fragile North Korea as an ally while Western powers unleashed heavy sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine.
In recent years, North Korea has served as a valuable intermediary for Russia and China by conducting trade and manufacturing operations outside the scope of international law.
