North fires two shots at guard post near border

The North Korean military fired two shots at a South Korean military guard post near the border in Hwacheon, Gangwon, at 5:26 p.m. yesterday, 118 kilometers (73 miles) northeast of Seoul, an official of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said Friday.

According to the official, the South Korean military responded with three shots from a K-6 machine gun. There were no casualties on the South Korean side.

“It hasn’t been confirmed whether the shooting was accidental,” the official said. “The spot that was shot seemed to be the bottom of the guard post.”

The Joint Chiefs of Staff raised an alarm to prepare for any additional provocation and was keeping military power available to dispatch in case of an emergency. The South Korean military put security to its highest level on Wednesday in advance of the G-20 Summit.

By Kim Hee-jin [heejin@joongang.co.kr]