SEOUL: A South Korean military helicopter accidentally entered the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) separating the two Koreas last month during wildfire operations, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said Sunday, Yonhap News Agency reported.
The Army Surion helicopter mistakenly entered the buffer zone on March 23 after being deployed to help extinguish a wildfire in the border county of Yeoncheon, about 60km north of Seoul, according to the JCS.
The helicopter at the time reportedly did not have approval to enter the South Korean side of the DMZ from the UN Command (UNC), which oversees operations inside the heavily fortified area.
The aircraft is said to have flown close to the Military Demarcation Line, which divides the 4-km-wide no man's land, prompting an investigation by the South Korean military and the UNC into whether it flew past the border line.
The North Korean military, however, showed no unusual reaction at the time. The homegrown helicopter reportedly was not carrying weapons during the flight.
A JCS official said the incident is being investigated but declined to offer details, citing operational security.
The DMZ is a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. - Bernama-Yonhap
