According to the North Korean military, US soldiers stationed at the demilitarized zone in South Korea pointed their fingers at North Korean soldiers and made strange noises and unspecified "disgusting" facial expressions. They also encouraged South Korean soldiers to aim their guns at the North, the statement says.
According to Christopher Bush, a spokesman for the UN command, the allegations have been investigated and determined to be "unsubstantiated."
Since the end of Korean War in 1953, about 28,000 US troops stay deployed at South Korea's side of the 4-kilometer demilitarized zone. The sides repeatedly accuse each other of provocations. After North Korea's first nuclear bomb test in 2006, the US reportedly accused North Korean troops of spitting across the border demarcation line, making throat-slashing hand gestures and flashing their middle fingers.
Despite the tension at the demilitarized zone, this region attracts a lot of visitors and tourists from both sides. Strict behavior rules are set for visitors as to not to be unwillingly perceived as acting provokingly.
