North Korean Troops Crossed the MDL Ten Times Last Month: "Due to Work Near the Armistice Line"

It has been revealed that North Korean troops crossed south of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) ten times just last month.

According to data submitted by the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the office of Assemblyman Kang Daesik of the People Power Party, who is a member of the National Assembly Defense Committee, on December 19, North Korean troops have violated the MDL a total of 16 times from March of this year to the present. Of these, 10 incidents were concentrated last month (from the 4th to the 23rd). By region, Goseong in Gangwon Province accounted for the most with six incidents, followed by Yeoncheon in Gyeonggi Province with three, and Hwacheon in Gangwon Province with one.

Lee Sungjun, spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated at a regular briefing that day, "Since November, North Korean troops have been working on barren land in the Goseong area of Gangwon Province, and because a specific section of the MDL in Goseong protrudes northward, there have been cases of North Korean troops crossing the line."

The Joint Chiefs of Staff reported that the South Korean military responded to the North Korean MDL violations with warning broadcasts and warning shots. However, there were four cases in which only warning broadcasts were issued without warning shots. Spokesperson Lee explained, "If a warning broadcast causes the North Korean troops to retreat northward, there is no need for warning shots," adding, "In such cases, warning shots were not fired."

Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Defense refuted media reports on December 19 claiming that a senior ministry official had instructed troops to refrain from firing even if North Korean forces provoked, stating, "This is not true." The ministry emphasized, "Our military is firmly responding in accordance with established procedures to North Korean violations of the Armistice Agreement in the Demilitarized Zone, including MDL crossings, while also working to prevent accidental clashes and manage the situation stably."