Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the armed forces of North Korea and South Korea exchanged gunfire in the Demilitarised Zone on 3 May.

On 3 May, gunshots fired from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) side of the Demilitarised Zone (DMZ) hit a guard post on the Republic of Korea (ROK) side. The ROK military discharged two volleys of warning fire towards a designated, unmanned area in response, in line with its established protocols. There was no escalation or any casualties. The United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission (UNCMAC) is still investigating but the ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff publicly said it assesses the DPRK shots were accidental.

We continue to urge the DPRK to return to the talks with the United States and deliver on its denuclearisation commitments.