North Korea accuses South of ‘serious provocation’ over border warning shots

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea accused South Korea of a “serious provocation” Saturday after South Korean troops fired warning shots at North Korean soldiers setting up barriers along their tense border.

Ko Jong Chol, vice chief of the North Korean People’s Army’s General Staff, noted that Tuesday’s warning shots coincided with the South Korea-U.S. summertime military drills and accused Seoul of deliberately trying to raise tensions.

Shortly after Ko’s statement, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed it had fired warning shots Tuesday afternoon at North Korean soldiers who briefly crossed the military demarcation line in the central border region while carrying out unspecified construction work. The South’s military said the soldiers returned to North Korean territory with