The Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas is seen from South Korea's Dora Observatory in May 2017. (Aaron Kidd/Stars and Stripes)
A South Korean solider accidentally discharged a machine gun last week while inspecting the weapon at a guard post inside the Demilitarized Zone, according to the Ministry of National Defense.
The incident occurred around 6 a.m. Wednesday in Cheorwon County, near the heavily fortified border with North Korea, a ministry spokesman told Stars and Stripes in a text message Monday.
The South Korean military immediately broadcast a message across the border explaining that the gunfire not intentional, the spokesman said. No unusual movements by North Korean forces were detected in response to the incident, he added.
No injuries or damage were reported.
It’s customary in South Korea for some government officials to speak to the press on condition of anonymity.
The two Koreas remain technically at war since the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty. Although skirmishes have occasionally erupted at the border, both sides generally adhere to a fragile ceasefire agreement in the DMZ, a 2 ½ mile wide buffer zones spanning the 155-mile border.
