North Korean troops violated military demarcation line 11 times over last year, South's military says

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North Korean troops violated military demarcation line 11 times over last year, South's military says

Published: 09 Jul. 2025, 14:55 Updated: 09 Jul. 2025, 19:26

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Explosions are seen as North Korea blows up the Gyeongui and Donghae Line railways and roads connecting the South and the North on Oct. 15, 2024. [YONHAP]

North Korean troops have crossed the front-line military demarcation line (MDL) a total of 11 times over the past year, sparking a sharp rise in military tensions in front-line areas attributed to efforts to fortify and militarize the border following North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s December 2023 directive to “cut ties with the South.”

A total of 25 ground provocations took place near the MDL in the demilitarized zone (DMZ) over the past 17 years since 2008, according to materials the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) submitted to Rep. Kang Dae-sik of the People Power Party on the National Defense Committee on Tuesday.

Acts such as North Korean troops crossing the MDL without South Korean approval, planting mines or firing antiaircraft guns constitute violations of the armistice agreement. A representative case was North Korea's planting of wooden land mines near a South Korean guard post (GP) gate in Paju, Gyeonggi, in August 2015.

Nearly half of those 25 cases — 11 — occurred since June last year. All 11 were MDL incursions. The most recent was on April 21 of this year, when North Korean troops crossed the MDL in the eastern front-line area of Goseong, Gangwon.

On April 8, in the same area, about 20 North Korean troops armed with personal firearms crossed the MDL. At the time, South Korean military authorities said they used warning broadcasts and fired warning shots to push them back.

North Korean troops are seen constructing an electric fence in a frontline area in this undated image released by the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff. [JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF]

As of July, the military has disclosed to the media only three MDL incursions, including the April 8 case, meaning there were eight other undisclosed provocations of various scales.

“Our military is closely monitoring North Korean movements and is taking necessary measures per operational procedures,” said a JCS official regarding these cases. “The decision to disclose is made based on operational conditions.”

By month, the MDL incursions occurred four times in June last year, once in August, twice in September and October, and twice more in April this year. The periods when MDL crossings were frequent coincided with active North Korean front line operations like mine-laying, according to the military.

Conversely, there were no MDL incursions during July of last year, when extreme flooding occurred in northwestern areas, such as Sinuiju, or between December and February, during winter military drills.

North Korean troops are seen constructing an electric fence in a frontline area in this undated image released by the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff. [JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF]

Crossings had mainly occurred in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi, and Hwacheon, Gangwon, but this year marked the first confirmed MDL incursion in Goseong, Gangwon, indicating the expansion of North Korea’s front-line activities.

However, recent MDL incursions by North Korean troops are more likely accidental rather than calculated provocations like the 2015 land mine incident, according to the military.

North Korea relies on outdated equipment and MDL signposts rather than using satellite navigation systems (GPS), the most likely reason for the frequent incursions.

Nonetheless, acts like laying mines in sensitive areas — regardless of intent — violate the armistice agreement and raise the risk of accidental inter-Korean clashes. The military estimates that up to 10,000 North Korean troops are operating near the MDL.

North Koreans are seen installing barbed wire fence pillars and other work on the embankment of a village in Gaepung County, Hwanghae Province, as seen from Incheon in South Korea on Oct. 16, 2024. [NEWS1]

Notably, this statistic excludes other tension-inducing events within North Korean territory. Incidents like the mine explosions that occurred during construction work in June last year and in March this year, or the Oct. 15 demolition of the Gyeongui and Donghae inter-Korean roads, are not included — meaning the actual level of tension is even greater.

The North Korean military is not only laying land mines and installing electric fences in some regions, but also constructing tactical roads and anti-tank barriers that could instantly be turned into offensive assets. The South interprets these moves as a response to prevent defections by North Korean soldiers and civilians, as well as a measure to boost vehicle mobility and surveillance capabilities near the MDL in the event of combat operations.

The South has not taken reciprocal measures to these incursions, raising concerns about troop fatigue in front-line areas as defections through the MDL continue, such as the “stealth defection” on July 3, when a North Korean soldier hid in the bushes for over 20 hours before surrendering under the guidance of South Korean forces.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY LEE YU-JUNG, LEE KEUN-PYUNG [[email protected]]