A group of North Korean soldiers crossed the inter-Korean border again on Thursday while working inside the heavily fortified Demilitarized Zone(DMZ).

According to South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff(JCS) on Friday,  North Korean soldiers, who were engaged in unspecified work, crossed the Military Demarcation Line(MDL) within the DMZ at around 11 a.m. Thursday. 

They reportedly retreated after South Korea issued warning broadcasts and fired warning shots. 

It marks the third time this month that North Korean soldiers intruded across the border.

On June 9, 20 to 30 North Korean soldiers crossed the MDL and retreated after South Korea fired warning shots, followed by a similar incursion on Tuesday.

The JCS assessed that both cases appeared to be unintentional as they returned to their territory right after the warning shots.