How many times did North Korean soldiers cross the Military Demarcation Line in August and September 2026?

Rep. Yu Yong-weon said the JCS counted around 20 crossings in August and about 30 in September, or roughly 50 in total over the two months. The military said it responded with warning broadcasts and warning shots, after which the soldiers retreated.

How did South Korea respond to North Korean soldiers crossing the MDL?

The South Korean military issued warning broadcasts and fired warning shots to drive the soldiers back. The report says the intruding troops retreated after those responses.

Why did South Korea accuse North Korea over the DMZ mine blast?

South Korea said the blast inside the DMZ injured its troops and blamed mines planted by the North. The JCS said the incident violated the Armistice Agreement and demanded that Pyongyang stop its border fortification work.

NK soldiers intrude across MDL around 50 times in Aug.-Sept. period: lawmaker

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Summary

North Korean soldiers were judged to have crossed the Military Demarcation Line around 50 times from August through September, a lawmaker said Wednesday. Rep. Yu Yong-weon said the JCS counted about 20 crossings in August and about 30 in September. The South Korean military responded with warning broadcasts and warning shots, and the soldiers retreated. South Korea also blamed North Korea for a mine blast in the DMZ that injured its troops and demanded an apology.

Key Facts

Rep. Yu Yong-weon said the JCS reply put North Korean crossings across the MDL at about 20 in August and about 30 in September.
The South Korean military said it used warning broadcasts and fired warning shots when the North Korean soldiers crossed the border.
Earlier Wednesday, South Korea blamed North Korea for a land mine explosion inside the DMZ that injured its troops.
The JCS said the DMZ blast caused by mines planted by the North was a breach of the Armistice Agreement that ended the 1950-53 Korean War.
The JCS called on Pyongyang to immediately stop its border fortification work.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 30, 2026 9:18 pm KST

South Korean troops stand guard at a military post along the Imjin River near the inter-Korean border in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, as North Korea resumed ballistic missile tests for the first time in five months ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, Oct. 22, 2025. Korea Times photo by Choi Joo-yeon

North Korean soldiers are judged to have intruded across the heavily fortified inter-Korean border around 50 times between August and September alone, a lawmaker said Wednesday.

Citing an inquiry reply from the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), Rep. Yu Yong-weon of the main opposition People Power Party said the North's soldiers are said to have crossed the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) into the South around 20 times in August and about 30 times in September.

In response to the North Korean soldiers' incursion, the South Korean military issued warning broadcasts and fired warning shots, prompting them to retreat.

Earlier in the day, South Korea blamed North Korea for last week's land mine explosion inside the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that injured its troops, demanding an apology and responsible measures from Pyongyang.

The South Korean military's statement came hours after North Korea denied involvement in the Sept. 21 mine blast on the southern side of the heavily fortified border and dismissed Seoul's claims as a "groundless" conspiracy.

The JCS said the DMZ blast caused by mines planted by the North constitutes a breach of the Armistice Agreement that ended the 1950-53 Korean War, and called on Pyongyang to immediately stop its border fortification work.

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