A fragile peace: Tensions simmer at DMZ as North Korean soldiers cross into the South multiple times

EXPLORING KOREA: Stories from Milwaukee to the DMZ and across a divided Peninsula. This special series explores historical sites and cultural traditions from across the Korean Peninsula, building a bridge back to the search for identity in Milwaukee. From the occupation of Korea at the end of World War II, to Korean War veterans in Milwaukee, veterans from Milwaukee who served in later years at the DMZ, adopted South Korean children who grew up in Milwaukee, different waves of the South Korean diaspora who moved to Milwaukee to raise their families, and even a defector from North Korea, their stories share generations of Korean and American experiences. https://mkeind.com/koreanstories

The Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) between North and South Korea is arguably one of the most misnamed regions in the world, considering it is one of the most heavily fortified and militarized areas on the planet.

Spanning 154 miles long and 2.5 miles wide, the DMZ is lined with two million land mines, barbed wire fences, tank traps, and tens of thousands of troops from both sides.

In recent months, South Korea has reported multiple incidents involving North Korean soldiers crossing the land border. South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff attributed the incursions to overgrown foliage that obscured the signs marking the thin military demarcation line. Despite being deemed accidental, these incursions highlight the fragile and volatile state of the border region.

On one occasion over the summer, about 20 to 30 North Korean soldiers crossed the demarcation line due to overgrown foliage obscuring the border markers. South Korean troops responded with warning shots, and the North Koreans retreated.

“Our alliance is the greatest in the world and capable of defeating any enemy,” said South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol emphasized.

Yoon became the first sitting South Korean president since 1994 to board a U.S. aircraft carrier, highlighting the interwoven military cooperation between the two nations.

South Korea has been preparing to deploy anti-air laser weapons systems called “Block-I” to intercept North Korean drones. Developed by Hanwha Aerospace, the system is capable of launching precision attacks on small incoming drones and multi-copters. Successful tests have proven its credibility, yet some experts doubt its effectiveness due to South Korea’s less advanced anti-air radar systems.

“We face North Korea on our doorstep, and its drones pose present threats to us, so that’s why we’ve been aiming to build and deploy laser weapons soon to cope with them,” said a South Korean military official.

The situation at the border has seen waves of escalation from North Korea, when it resumed its trash-carrying balloon launches. The balloons, often filled with waste paper, cigarette butts, and even manure, have been floated across the border in response to leafleting campaigns by South Korean activists.

In retaliation to the trash balloons, South Korea restarted anti-Pyongyang propaganda broadcasts using front-line loudspeakers, a tactic reminiscent of Cold War-era psychological warfare. The broadcasts included K-pop songs, weather forecasts, and news, which North Korea views as a direct threat to its political system and leadership.

Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, has been particularly vocal about these tensions. She warned that South Korean “scum” must be ready to pay “a gruesome and dear price” for their leafleting activities. The rhetoric has raised concerns about potential physical provocations from North Korea, such as floating explosive mines downriver.

South Korea has acknowledged the threat, noting that North Korean land mines could be swept into South Korea by flooding, potentially causing deadly incidents.

Along with its brinksmanship, North Korea has been fortifying its side of the border. Construction efforts, which began in April, include adding anti-tank barriers, reinforcing roads, and planting tens of thousands of additional mines.

The measures aim to boost frontline security and prevent defections from North Korea to South Korea. According to reports, North Korean military personnel have suffered casualties from mine explosions and heat exposure, either by accident on patrols or in efforts to escape the repressive regime.

In response to North Korea’s balloon campaigns, South Korea suspended a 2018 tension-reduction deal, a step required to restart propaganda broadcasts and conduct live-fire military drills at border areas. In June, South Korea made propaganda broadcasts for about two hours but did not continue, until weeks later after North Korea’s balloon launches.

South Korea warned that it would conduct loudspeaker broadcasts in a fuller manner, and take other stronger steps if North Korea continued provocations. The volatile dynamics along the DMZ are not new. The border has a long, often violent history since the Korean War ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty, leaving the peninsula technically still in a state of war.

The DMZ has seen a range of incidents, from accidental incursions to direct confrontations. For instance, in 2015, North Korea’s wooden mine boxes washed downriver during summer, causing deadly incidents in South Korea.

The psychological warfare between the two Koreas has intensified in recent months, with both sides using different platforms to convey their messages. It is estimated that North Korea has launched more than 2,000 balloons since late May.

In contrast, South Korea’s propaganda broadcasts aim to demoralize North Korean troops and residents, posing a blow to Kim Jong Un’s authoritarian rule. These broadcasts, combined with live-fire military drills at border areas, signal a significant escalation in the tit-for-tat cycle of provocations.

South Korea has also boosted its military readiness to prepare for further North Korean provocations. The deployment of the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier and its strike group in June to South Korea was part of a 2023 deal aimed at enhancing the visibility of U.S. strategic assets on the Korean Peninsula. The deployment was intended to cope with North Korea’s nuclear threats and its advancing military partnerships with Russia.