The South Korean soldier accidentally fires machine gun in DMZ, says Military

The demilitarized zone that separates the two Koreas can be seen from South Korean Dora Observatory in May 2017. (Aaron Kidd/Stars and Stripes)

A South Korean soldier accidentally released a machine gun last week, while he inspected the weapon on a guard post in the demilitarized zone.

The incident occurred on Wednesday at 6 a.m. in Cheorwon County near the heavily fortified border with North Korea, a spokesman for the ministry said stars and stripes in an SMS message on Monday.

The South Korean military immediately sent a message across the border in which he explained that the not intended shots are not intended, the spokesman said. In response to the incident, no unusual movements of the North Korean armed forces were found, he added.

No injuries or damage were reported.

In South Korea it is common for some government officials to speak to the press on the condition of anonymity.

The two Korea have been technically in the war since the Korean War 1950-53 ended in an armistice rather than in a peace treaty. Although skirmishes have occasionally broken out on the border, both sides generally adhere to a fragile ceasefire agreement in the DMZ, a 2½ mile width of buffer zones that extend over the 155 mile limit.