Ten days after a landmine explosion in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) injured two South Korean military officers, North Korean troops have continued to cross the Military Demarcation Line (MDL). Reports indicate that North Korean forces have repeatedly crossed the MDL in the area of the 21st Division on the eastern front, retreating only after warning shots from South Korean troops.
According to Channel A, North Korean troops have been crossing the MDL frequently, with South Korean forces firing warning shots at them this week. It has been reported that in some unclear sections of the border, North Korean troops have been conducting reconnaissance or fortification work, leading to these incursions.
The area where these crossings have been most frequent is the 21st Division on the eastern front. It is believed that North Korean troops have crossed the MDL while conducting reconnaissance or work related to border fortification in the rugged mountainous terrain of Gangwon Province.
A Joint Chiefs of Staff official stated, “North Korean troops have been retreating after our warning shots.”
In fact, the number of North Korean incursions across the MDL has significantly increased recently. According to data submitted by the Ministry of National Defense to the National Assembly, North Korean troops crossed the MDL over 50 times in the past two months, with approximately 20 incursions in August and around 30 in September, indicating that such crossings occurred almost daily in September. These recent incursions have primarily concentrated in the area of the 21st Division on the eastern front.
North Korean troops have been following a pattern of retreating after receiving warning broadcasts and shots from South Korean forces when they cross the MDL. Earlier in mid-August, several North Korean soldiers crossed the MDL for the first time this year, and after South Korean forces fired warning shots, they retreated back north.
The increase in these incursions is believed to be related to North Korea's so-called border fortification efforts. Since 2024, North Korea has been engaged in activities such as creating wasteland, building tactical roads, installing barbed wire, and laying landmines near the MDL. While there were frequent incursions during the wasteland creation process until last year, it is reported that recent activities have focused on installing barbed wire and tactical roads in the areas that have been turned into wasteland.
In contrast, the number of incursions in the area of the 25th Division on the western front, where the landmine explosion occurred, has reportedly decreased. The military estimates that North Korean troops have completed much of the initial work on border fortification in that area.
Instead, North Korean troops have been observed installing barbed wire in the newly transformed wasteland. This indicates that they are expanding their operations to include the installation of barbed wire and various facilities after modifying the terrain near the MDL.
Notably, on September 21, three South Korean officers conducting a search operation in the DMZ under the jurisdiction of the 25th Division were injured by an unknown explosion. Two of them sustained serious injuries, and the military has initiated an investigation, suspecting that the cause of the explosion was a landmine.
On September 29, the Ministry of National Defense stated that the North Korean landmines discovered at the accident site were not lost but rather buried. They explained that several landmines were concentrated in a narrow area and, considering their buried shape, it is likely related to border fortification work.
On September 30, South Korean military and UN forces officially confirmed that North Korean troops had buried landmines south of the MDL in relation to the explosion, deeming it a violation of the armistice agreement. The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that South Korean soldiers were seriously injured due to North Korean landmines and urged North Korea to cease its border fortification activities, apologize, and take responsible measures. North Korea, however, denied the South's assertion that the explosion was caused by its landmines.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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