South Korean soldiers stand guard at the Joint Security Area inside the Demilitarized Zone in May 2023. (David Choi/Stars and Stripes)
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — U.N. Command has launched a probe into the South Korean military’s allegations that North Korean troops briefly crossed the boundary inside the Demilitarized Zone, according to a statement late Wednesday.
U.N. Command — a multinational military body tasked with enforcing the armistice between South and North Korea — said it is investigating Seoul’s claims that around 20 North Korean troops crossed the Military Demarcation Line at 12:30 p.m. Sunday, according to an unattributed email statement from the command.
The demarcation line marks the border between the two Koreas within the DMZ, a buffer zone roughly 150 miles long and 2½ miles wide.
“We take our mission seriously at United Nations Command and are currently investigating the recent issues with utmost diligence,” the command’s email states. “Our actions are in strict accordance with the Armistice Agreement as we work towards deescalating the situation to ensure peace and stability in the region.”
South Korean forces responded to the encroachment by using loudspeakers and firing warning shots, the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said Monday. The intruding troops, some of whom were carrying work tools, immediately retreated to their territory.
The DMZ contains thick foliage that makes it difficult to see signs denoting one’s territory, South Korean Army Col. Lee Sung-jun said during a news conference Tuesday.
Both Koreas are required to have “plainly marked” and “suitable markers erected along the boundary between the demilitarized zone and their respective areas,” according to the agreement signed on July 27, 1953.
No mention of the incident has been reported by North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency as of Thursday.
U.N. Command was established July 24, 1950, to support South Korean forces during the Korean War. It continues to provide military support and investigates violations of the armistice by both Koreas.
One such investigation determined that North and South Korea had violated the armistice agreement’s terms nearly two years ago.
On Dec. 26, 2022, North Korea flew at least five drones into the South, prompting Seoul to intercept them using fighter jets and helicopters. South Korea’s military failed to capture or destroy any of the drones; however, it sent drones into North Korea’s airspace on surveillance operations.
U.N. Command determined that North Korea had violated the armistice when it sent drones into the South and that Seoul’s attempts to destroy the drones did not violate the armistice’s rules of engagement.
The investigation also found that South Korea had violated the armistice by sending drones over the northern border immediately after the incident.
