North Korea threatens military action if South continues loudspeaker broadcasts

North Korea fired on South Korea Thursday, leading to an exchange of rocket and artillery fire over their highly fortified demilitarized zone, according to the South Korean Defense Ministry. Following the incident, the South Korean Ministry of Defense said it had received a warning from its Northern neighbor to stop the propaganda broadcasts in 48 hours or it would “start military action”.

In response, South Korea fired tens of 155mm artillery rounds at the location where the shell came from, the country’s defence ministry said.

Earlier this month South Korea promised “searing” consequences for the maiming of two of their soldiers, who officials said were victims of land mines planted on the border.

South Korean President Park Geun-hye on August 20 called on the military to be ready for further provocations from the North. She also said troops have been told to strike back “sternly” if they are provoked.

It appeared that North Korea did not respond to South Korea’s returned fire.

North Korea later issued a 48-hour ultimatum to dismantle loudspeakers blasting propaganda or face military action. The South responded by shelling the North’s coastal gun emplacements.

No injuries or damage have been reported on the south side of the border.

North Korea’s state-run KCNA news agency did not immediately comment on the exchange of fire.

Seoul accused North Korea of laying the mines, which Pyongyang denied.

Evans says another catalyst that increases the risk of escalation is South Korea’s doctrine.

South Korea’s military raised its alert status to the highest level.

Minutes later it fired several more in the rough direction of one of the South’s loudspeaker units, but the shells fell short on the South’s side of the demilitarised zone (DMZ) – a four kilometre-wide buffer area straddling the actual frontier line.

In response to the landmine incident, South Korea has resumed a program of broadcasting criticism of the North Korean government across the border using large speaker arrays.

The Korean Peninsula has been locked in a cycle of military rhetoric since the Korean War, which lasted from 1950 to 1953 and ended in an armistice.

Thursday’s exchange of fire is the first between the two countries since October.