Overview

• South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said troops fired warning shots Tuesday after several North Korean soldiers briefly crossed the military demarcation line during construction work in the central sector.
• The South Korean military reported the North’s personnel withdrew without incident and that there was no return fire from the North.
• North Korea, via KCNA citing senior officer Ko Jong Chol, condemned the action as dangerous and deliberate, warning of corresponding countermeasures and saying it would not assume responsibility for any serious consequences.
• Pyongyang said it notified U.S. Forces Korea on June 25 and July 18 about planned border work to avoid accidental clashes, and it linked the incident to ongoing South Korea–U.S. summer exercises.
• Recent months have seen North Korea reinforce permanent barriers and damage inter‑Korean roads and rail lines, as South Korean President Lee Jae Myung signals interest in reducing frontier military activity and reviving confidence‑building steps.