Shots fired along tense Korean border

Seoul (South Korea)—Gunfire rang out Saturday along the heavily armed no man’s land separating the divided Koreas, as regional tensions mounted in anticipation of communist North Korea’s plan to test its first atomic bomb.
South Korean soldiers fired about 40 shots as a warning after five North Korean soldiers crossed a boundary in the Demilitarized Zone separating the two country’s forces, South Korean military officials said.
It was unclear whether the North Korean advance, which occurred shortly before noon near a stream, was intended as a provocation, an official at South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said on condition of anonymity, citing official policy. No one was hurt, and the North Koreans retreated.
“It’s not clear whether it was intentional or whether it was to catch fish,” he said, adding that four of the North Koreans were unarmed, and the fifth carried a rifle.
Earlier in the day, North Korea’s neighbors applauded a U.N. Security Council statement warning the country not to follow through on its threats to test its first nuclear weapon, perhaps as early as Sunday. Japan said it will push for punitive measures if Pyongyang doesn’t heed international opinion.
The statement adopted by the council on Friday also called on North Korea to return immediately to talks on scrapping its nuclear weapons program or face unspecified consequences.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement Saturday saying it supported the appeal and also urging its isolated, communist neighbour to resume the long-stalled six-nation talks.
“North Korea must clearly recognize that a nuclear test would not help the North itself in any way,” South Korea said. “North Korea should be held responsible for any consequences that could be caused by a test.”
Stepping up shuttle diplomacy, South Korea’s nuclear envoy said he will visit Beijing on Monday for two days of talks with Chinese officials about the nuclear test.
Separately, Japan’s Foreign Ministry said it sees a nuclear test by North Korea as “a grave threat to the peace and security of northeast Asia and the world” and welcomed the Security Council statement.
“If North Korea conducts a nuclear weapons test despite the concerns expressed by international society, the Security Council must adopt a resolution outlining severely punitive measures,” the ministry said in a statement.
The statement adopted unanimously on Friday expresses “deep concern” over North Korea’s announcement Tuesday that it planned a test, a move that would confirm strong suspicions it is a nuclear power.
The warning was read at a formal meeting by the council president, Ambassador Kenzo Oshima of Japan, who indicated that the North could face sanctions or possible military action if it detonates a nuclear device.—Agencies