Unusual North Korean Military Demarcation Line Infringement [Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club]

Landmine Explosion After Sporadic Infiltration in 2014-2015
Possible Surprise Attack Aligned with Kim Yo-jong's Mention of 'New Response'

There is an assessment that the North Korean military's intrusion into the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) on the central front may be a preparatory step for a surprise provocation. While it could be a simple clearing of underbrush to monitor our front lines, it could also be a movement to strengthen mine-laying or ambushes.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to the military on the 12th, about 20 to 30 North Korean soldiers crossed the MDL around 12:30 PM on the 9th while working within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on the central front. They retreated north after our military issued warning broadcasts and warning shots. The MDL, also called the Armistice Line, effectively represents the border between South and North Korea. Both Koreas have established a buffer zone called the DMZ, extending 2 km from the MDL on each side to prevent military clashes.

At the time of the intrusion, the North Korean personnel were carrying work tools such as pickaxes and shovels, and some troops were armed. The North Korean military crossed about 50 meters beyond the MDL this time. Currently, the DMZ is densely overgrown with vegetation, and the MDL markers are not clearly visible, so the military is giving weight to the possibility of a simple accidental intrusion.

However, considering past precedents, this is not a trivial matter. In 2014, North Korea pressed the defection guidance bell installed near our military’s frontline post (GP) on the fence and fled. At that time, the North Korean soldiers were known to be special forces belonging to the 8th Corps and the light infantry brigade. Such incidents occurred five times that year. In June of the following year, there was an incident in the DMZ of Paju, Gyeonggi Province, where North Korean soldiers stole a defector guidance bell installed by our military. Two months later, two non-commissioned officers of the Army’s 1st Division in Paju City suffered serious injuries after stepping on North Korean bounding mines in the DMZ. In fact, it has been identified that North Korea has recently been conducting mine-laying operations near the MDL.

Yang Wook, a research fellow at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said, “North Korea is likely looking for ways to respond to the new measures mentioned by Kim Yo-jong, the Deputy Director of the Workers' Party,” adding, “It appears they chose activities in the contact area to achieve low-cost surprise effects such as with waste balloons, which is a kind of gray zone tactic.”