North Korea accuses the South of firing warning shots and warns of escalating tensions

In a new escalation on the border between the two Koreas, North Korea accused the South Korean army today, Saturday, of firing more than ten warning shots towards its forces while attempting to permanently close the fortified border.

General Ko Jong-chul warned in a statement reported by the Korean Central News Agency that this action represents a serious provocation that could push tensions to "uncontrollable" levels.

The incident occurred, according to the statement, last Tuesday, when soldiers from the North were working to close the border, which is a sensitive area filled with mines and equipped with strict fortifications, amid a heavy deployment of troops on both sides of the border.

Ko described this step as a dangerous precursor that could lead to an unwanted military escalation.

It is worth noting that the last military incident between the two countries occurred last April, when the South Korean army fired warning shots after about ten northern soldiers briefly entered the demilitarized zone.

The border between the two Koreas has been experiencing increasing tensions since last October, when Pyongyang announced its intention to completely close the border and blew up parts of the symbolic roads and railways connecting the North to the South, in a move that raised concerns.

General Ko warned in his statement on Friday that the North Korean army would respond strongly to any interference or attempts to obstruct efforts to close the border, considering it a deliberate military provocation that calls for countermeasures.

These developments come amid repeated non-violent clashes on the border, where both sides exchanged unconventional means such as launching thousands of garbage-carrying balloons from the North to the South last year, in response to anti-North propaganda balloons launched by South Korean activists.

South Korea has also recently resumed operating loudspeakers on the border broadcasting pop songs and news, while North Korea responded by broadcasting strange sounds, raising concerns among residents in the South.

These developments reflect the ongoing state of escalating tension between the two Koreas, amid fears that any mistake could lead to an uncontrollable escalation in the region.