Shots mistakenly fired toward North on birth anniversary of Kim Il-sung

SEOUL, April 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's defense ministry belatedly confirmed Friday that one of its soldiers near the border with North Korea mistakenly fired a machine gun toward the North on April 15, the birthday of late North Korean founder Kim Il-sung.
The confirmation came hours after North Korea's military accused South Korea of staging an "unpardonable military provocation" by "firing a 12.7-millimeter large-caliber machine gun in the direction of the North side on April 15."
Seoul's Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok admitted that the accidental firing happened during a routine military drill by a front-line unit in Yeoncheon, about 62 kilometers north of Seoul.
The South's military immediately notified the North of the incident via loudspeakers and the North didn't fire back toward the South.
"Our military unit in Yeoncheon mistakenly fired three rounds from a K-6 machine gun toward the North on April 15 during an exercise," Kim said.
"The shots were fired toward the North's side, but it was unclear where they landed," he said. "At that time, the North's side didn't fire back."
Tensions on the Korean Peninsula remain high following the North's two military attacks last year -- the sinking of the Cheonan warship and the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island. The attacks killed a total of 50 South Koreans, including two civilians.
North Korea's late founder, Kim Il-sung, the father of current leader Kim Jong-il, died of heart failure in 1994 but is still revered as the North's "eternal president." The anniversary of the late Kim's birth is a major holiday in North Korea.