North Korea tells UN South's warning shots crossed a red line; Seoul rejects claim
In short
At a UN General Assembly committee in New York, North Korea's representative said South Korea's warning broadcasts and warning shots along the military demarcation line had crossed a red line. South Korea's representative called the claims entirely groundless and said the measures were legitimate and defensive.
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North Korea's representative accused South Korea at the UN General Assembly on 20 October of crossing a red line. He spoke at the 14th meeting of the First Committee (disarmament and international security) of the 81st session at UN headquarters in New York. Yonhap and Hankook Ilbo cited the UN, and Chosun Ilbo cited the official UN meeting record, in reports dated 21 October New York time. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The representative said South Korea's military carried out 2,870 warning broadcasts and 201 warning shots from 1 August to 17 October. He said: 'Hostile provocations, carried out even more blatantly after the fabricated mine explosion incident, have crossed the red line.' He added that North Korea would apply a principle of counteraction based on strong force in response to a hostile state's show of force. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
South Korea's representative answered that the claims were entirely groundless. He said the warning broadcasts and shots are legitimate, defensive measures to prevent North Korean troops from crossing the military demarcation line (MDL) and to remove those who have already crossed. He accused North Korea of continually distorting the cause of the situation and urged it to stop raising tension and return to dialogue. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Yonhap and Hankook Ilbo said the South Korean military has been responding to repeated MDL crossings by North Korean troops carrying out so-called border fortification work. Yonhap and Chosun Ilbo said North Korea has announced a military build-up along the MDL and the resumption of loudspeaker broadcasts toward the South. Chosun Ilbo reported that Pak Jong Chon and Kim Yo Jong visited the construction site on 20 October. Hankook Ilbo cited a Kim Yo Jong statement dated 22 October saying that new response means on the border had entered mission standby and that loudspeaker broadcasts would be on standby within days. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
On 8 October, South Korea raised the DMZ mine explosion at the committee's general debate. Ambassador Cha Ji-hoon said a joint investigation, supported by the South Korean military and the UN Command, and forensic analysis had found that the blast was caused by a mine North Korean troops deliberately laid south of the MDL. He called it a clear violation of the armistice agreement and demanded an apology. Yonhap and Chosun Ilbo said this has not led to a Security Council response. Yonhap quoted Cha as saying on 13 October that the government had not yet made a strategic decision on the matter. [ 1 , 2 ]
At the 16 October meeting, a North Korean representative rejected South Korea's call for dialogue, saying North Korea would never sit down with South Korea, which he called the most hostile state. He said possessing nuclear weapons was a sovereign right against the US nuclear threat and that the concept of denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula had disappeared long ago. [ 1 , 2 ]
The delegations also clashed over South Korea-US drills and North Korea-Russia cooperation. North Korea said military moves by the US and its allies raise the risk of nuclear conflict on the peninsula. South Korea replied that its military posture, including the drills, is a legitimate response to North Korea's growing threats and not their cause. North Korea said its treaty with Russia and the UN Charter permit their military cooperation. South Korea said a bilateral treaty cannot give legal legitimacy to acts banned by UN Security Council resolutions. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The exchange moves the dispute over the demarcation line and the DMZ mine explosion onto the UN stage while military tension is reported to be rising. The documents say no Security Council response has followed so far.
Key facts
- North Korea's representative spoke at the 14th meeting of the First Committee (disarmament and international security) of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York on 20 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The North Korean representative said South Korea's military carried out 2,870 warning broadcasts and 201 warning shots from 1 August to 17 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- He called the incident a 'fabricated' mine explosion and said hostile provocations since then had 'crossed the red line'. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- He said North Korea would apply a principle of counteraction based on strong force in response to a hostile state's show of force. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- South Korea's representative replied that the warning broadcasts and shots are legitimate, defensive measures to stop North Korean troops crossing the MDL and to remove those who have crossed, and urged North Korea to return to dialogue. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The two sides also clashed at the UN over South Korea-US joint drills and North Korea-Russia military cooperation. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- North Korea's representative accused South Korea at the UN General Assembly First Committee of provocations that crossed a red line, citing 2,870 warning broadcasts and 201 warning shots from 1 August to 17 October. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- South Korea's representative rejected the claims as entirely groundless and described the warning broadcasts and shots as legitimate, defensive measures. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- On 8 October South Korea raised the DMZ mine explosion at the First Committee's general debate, with Ambassador Cha Ji-hoon saying a joint investigation found the mine was deliberately laid by North Korean troops south of the MDL. [ 1 , 2 ]
- The mine explosion has not led to a response at the UN Security Council level. [ 1 , 2 ]
- On 16 October a North Korean representative told the First Committee that North Korea would never sit down with South Korea, which he called the most hostile state, and said the notion of denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula disappeared long ago. [ 1 , 2 ]
Still unclear
- What caused the DMZ mine explosion. South Korea's ambassador said a joint investigation found North Korean troops deliberately laid the mine; North Korea calls the incident fabricated. The documents give no independent finding.
- Whether South Korea will take the mine explosion to the UN Security Council. Document 1 quotes Ambassador Cha as saying on 13 October that the government's strategic decision had not yet been made.
- Kim Yo Jong's statement that new response means on the border have entered mission standby and that loudspeaker broadcasts toward the South will be on standby within days. Only Hankook Ilbo reports it, and it dates the statement to 22 October.