North and South Korean troops exchanged
fire along their tense border on Sunday, the South's
MILITARY said, blaming North Korean soldiers for targeting a guard post. Violent confrontations have occasionally occurred along the border, the world's most heavily fortified. While Sunday's incident is a reminder of persistent tensions, it didn't cause any known casualties on either side and is unlikely to escalate, observers say. The Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul said in a statement that North Korean troops fired several bullets at a South Korean guard post inside the heavily fortified border.
South Korea fired two rounds in response after issuing a warning broadcast, it said. South Korea suffered no casualties, the military said. It's unknown whether
North Korea had any casualties. The North's official Korean Central News Agency hasn't reported about the incident. South Korea said it was trying to contact North Korea via a military hotline to avoid an escalation. It comes a day after North Korea broadcast images of leader
Kim Jong-un reappearing in public after a 20-day absence amid intense speculation about his health. KCNA said Kim attended Friday's ceremony marking the completion of a fertilizer factory near
Pyongyang along with senior officials. State TV showed Kim smiling and walking around factory facilities.