PPP lawmaker says North's soldiers crossed MDL 50 times over past two months

North Korean soldiers are believed to have intruded upon the heavily fortified inter-Korean border around 50 times between August and September alone, a lawmaker said Wednesday.

The North's soldiers are said to have crossed the military demarcation line into the South around 20 times in August and about 30 times in September, Rep. Yu Yong-weon of the main opposition People Power Party said, citing information from the Ministry of Defense.

The South Korean military issued warning broadcasts and fired warning shots in response to the incursions, and the soldiers retreated.

Earlier in the day, South Korea blamed North Korea for the Sept. 21 land mine explosion inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ) that injured its troops, demanding an apology and responsible measures from Pyongyang.

The South Korean military's statement came hours after North Korea denied involvement in the mine blast on the southern side of the heavily fortified border and dismissed Seoul's claims as a “groundless” conspiracy.

The DMZ blast caused by mines planted by the North constitutes a breach of the Armistice Agreement that ended the 1950-53 Korean War, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said, calling on Pyongyang to immediately stop its border fortification work.

Yonhap