U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday that shots fired by North Korea across its border with South Korea were likely "accidental."

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said earlier on Sunday that multiple gunshots from North Korea hit a South Korean guard post in the Demilitarized Zone and South Korea fired back in response. The exchange of gunfire came a day after North Korean state media showed its leader Kim Jong-un making his first public appearance in 20 days. 

Pompeo assessed that the shots were "accidental" during an interview with U.S. broadcaster ABC, saying he has seen the reports and some of the U.S. internal information. He added that South Korea returned fire and there was no loss of life on either side.

Pompeo, however, declined to mention specifics about North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s health or why he missed a celebration of his late grandfather on April 15, saying there is "not much he can share." 

The secretary said that there have been other extended periods of time where Kim has been out of public view, so it's "not unprecedented." 

Meanwhile, Pompeo reaffirmed the United States’ commitment to denuclearizing North Korea, saying that the country’s mission has remained the same -- convince North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons and create a brighter future for the North Korean people.