Overview

• South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff and the U.N. Command said about 30 North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the Military Demarcation Line on Aug. 19, prompting warning shots that sent them back without return fire.
• North Korea called the incident a “serious provocation,” claiming more than 10 12.7 mm warning shots were fired at its troops and threatening “corresponding countermeasures” if such actions continue.
• Pyongyang said the soldiers were conducting a project to permanently seal the border and that it notified U.S. forces of the work on June 25 and July 18 to avoid accidental clashes.
• State media reported Kim Jong Un supervised tests of two newly improved air-defense missiles on Saturday, touting rapid responses to drones and cruise missiles using “unique and special” technology.
• The border encounter and weapons tests coincided with the U.S.–South Korea Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises running Aug. 18–28, as Seoul seeks to reduce tensions under President Lee Jae Myung.