North and South Korea troops exchange gunfire across border in latest clash

North and South Korea briefly exchanged gunfire when the North’s soldiers approached the heavily fortified land border and refused to retreat, the South Korean Defence Ministry said.

The exchange of gunfire – the second such incident this month - occurred on Sunday and was triggered after North Korean troops approached the so-called Military Demarcation Line that separates the countries.

Verbal warnings were issued by loudspeaker and then warning shots were fired. The North Koreans then opened fire, a defence ministry official said.

The North’s soldiers are said to have fired back in an exchange of gunfire that lasted about 10 minutes.

A ministry officials however added that the situation did not escalate and no casualties or property damage were reported.

The incident was the latest in a series of confrontations in recent weeks between the rival Koreas, that remain technically at war, and follows an urgent meeting between senior military officials on Wednesday to discuss how to ease tensions.

On October 10, the two rivals traded heavy gunfire after southern activists released anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets across the border by balloon.

Moreover, earlier this month, the two sides exchanged fire after a North Korean patrol boat crossed a sea border that the North has long disputed in an area where naval clashes have in the past killed scores of sailors on both sides.