▲ This file photo, provided by the Joint Chiefs of Staff on March 27, 2025, shows North Korean troops repairing fences at the eastern border. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

(LEAD) NK military-border activity

(LEAD) S. Korea's military fires warning shots at N. Korean soldiers as they cross military demarcation line

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout; ADDS byline; RECASTS headline)

By Kim Seung-yeon and Chae Yun-hwan

SEOUL, April 8 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's military said Tuesday it fired warning shots at a group of North Korean soldiers who briefly crossed the military demarcation line inside the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas.

About 10 North Korean soldiers returned to the North after the South Korean military aired warning broadcasts and warning shots in an eastern front-line area at around 5 p.m., according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS).

The JCS said South Korea's military is "closely monitoring the movement of the North Korean military and taking necessary measures in accordance with the operational procedures."

The JCS said it suspects the North Korean soldiers' border crossing appeared to have occurred accidentally while they were conducting a regular patrol.

"It appears that they were on a reconnaissance mission ahead of some preparatory work, and they may have crossed the military demarcation line by mistake due to the terrain," a military official said.

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