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As tensions between South and North Korea escalate and North Korea announces plans to strengthen its firepower near the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), North Korean soldiers gather at a self-propelled artillery position in a coastal border area of Kaepung County, Hwanghae Province, as seen from the Aegibong Peace Ecopark observatory in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, on Oct. 26. / Yonhap News Agency

South Korea's military said on Oct. 27 that it was investigating the security operations of a frontline unit following an incident in which a civilian crossed the Civilian Control Line (CCL) in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, and damaged the barbed-wire surveillance fence at a frontline General Outpost (GOP).

Jang Do-young, head of the public affairs office at the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), said at a regular press briefing in Yongsan District, Seoul, that day, "On Oct. 25, our military took into custody an unidentified individual who had approached military security facilities without authorization in an area south of the GOP and north of the Civilian Control Line in Cheorwon County, Gangwon Province."

"As far as I know, there are no grounds to suspect espionage or other activities against national security. Relevant authorities are currently investigating the exact circumstances," Jang said. "The Ground Operations Command has been conducting an investigation into the unit's overall security operations since yesterday."

On Oct. 24, a woman in her 30s, identified only as A, reportedly entered an area north of the Civilian Control Line in Cheorwon. The military detected her presence and launched a search but failed to locate her. The following day, Oct. 25, it emerged that she had damaged several barbed-wire sensors on the fence at a frontline GOP. During a parliamentary audit, the military also faced a barrage of criticism over its inadequate security posture after failing to apprehend a civilian in the frontline area.

"The primary mission of our military's GOPs is to guard against enemy threats along the front line. In contrast, the Civilian Control Line is not a line intended to treat our citizens as subjects of surveillance or monitoring. Rather, it is operated on the basis of public cooperation to facilitate military operations, maintain military security and, above all, protect our citizens from hazards such as unidentified land mines," Jang said.

"Under this concept, the military operates checkpoints along the Civilian Control Line primarily to control road access. Frontline GOP security operations, which focus on guarding against the enemy, are fundamentally different from the operation of the Civilian Control Line, which is based on cooperation from our citizens," he continued. "Some media reports describing the Civilian Control Line as having been breached confuse these two concepts. We would appreciate more accurate descriptions."

Meanwhile, addressing North Korea's recent efforts to pursue what it calls "border fortification" and its deployment of weapons, including self-propelled artillery, in visible positions near the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), Jang said, "We understand that North Korea is deploying and displaying existing older artillery pieces in coastal areas. As Minister Kang Shin-chul has said, we believe there are various intentions behind these actions. North Korea's activities near the MDL are still ongoing."

"The military is closely monitoring North Korean troop movements. We are maintaining a firm military readiness posture capable of responding to any provocation," he added.

                                                                                                              Lee Han-sol