A fire broke out in the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in the inter-Korean border.

The blaze, which started about 600 meters north of the military demarcation line in the DMZ around 11 a.m. Monday, spread closer to the Dorasan Observatory in Paju, north of Seoul.

The Unification Ministry in Seoul said that it blocked the entry and exit through the Dorasan Inter-Korean Transit Office from 2 p.m.

With the measure, 50 people who are leaving for the Gaeseong Industrial Park and 130 officials returning from the complex were waiting at the transit office.

Visitors heading to the complex should cross the border by 4:30 p.m., and those returning from the complex should cross by 5 p.m.