North's guns in DMZ draw a Seoul protest

Despite South Korea's strong protest, the North Korean Army apparently brought firearms to its guard post inside the Demilitarized Zone, where a section was opened up under inter-Korean jurisdiction to relink a cross-border railroad.

"North Korean military guards carried four machine guns into the Demilitarized Zone last Friday," a South Korean National Defense Ministry source said yesterday. "They reportedly brought in guns Monday and Tuesday, and we sent a letter of protest." The source said South Korea made clear that it would take like action if the North did not desist. After the warning, the North removed the guns.

Under a Sept. 17 military agreement, guard forces are allowed only individual firearms with up to 30 rounds of ammunition. Another source speculated that the North hoped to discourage its soldiers near the border from defecting.