SEOUL (AFP) - South Korea's frontline military units were put on their highest state of alert over fears that North Korean agents may have infiltrated the South through the tense border, officials said.
A South Korean patrol on early Tuesday found two holes in wire fences marking the southern boundary of the four-kilometer-wide (2.5 mile) buffer zone dividing the two Koreas, the office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.
The 40-centimeter by 40-centimeter (16 by 16 inch) hole in the outer fence and a 40-centimeter by 30-centimeter rectangular hole on the inner fence were large enough for a person to get through.
The cut-off parts of the wire fences were left standing to cover the holes.
Troops conducted a massive manhunt for possible infiltrators and stepped up security checks after the breach near Cheolwon, 90 kilometers (54 miles) north of Seoul, was found.
Hwang Jung-Sun, deputy chief of military operations bureau at the Joint Chiefs of Staff office said the defense ministry put the military units in charge of the border area on the highest 'Jindogae I' alert.
"The military is carrying out an investigation and search operations, taking various possibilities into consideration," Hwang told a news conference.
"The focus of the operations is not necessarily on the possibility of infiltration. We have other possibilities in mind," Hwang said, without explaining what other possibilities might be.
Investigators were trying to determine when and how the fence was cut and whether there were any signs of infiltration, such as footprints, Hwang said.
Ministry official Oh Jeong-Hee earlier told AFP that the ministry was searching for possible signs that North Korean agents had entered.
The "Jindogae I" alert is the highest level for South Korean military to cope with possible infiltrations by armed agents from the communist North.
Military and police authorities tightened roadblocks and security checkups in and around the area.
On the road leading to Cheolwon, soldiers with their faces smeared with camouflage cream were seen mounting guard at checkpoints, being backed by armored vehicles and heavy machine guns and rocket launchers.
If confirmed, the infiltration through the heavily fortified demilitzrized zone diving the two Koreas, would be the first of its kind since the historic inter-Korean summit in 2000.
The summit was followed by various mutual projects, including reunions of separated family members, the restoration of cross-border railways and roads and tours to the North.
The news coincided with a visit by US Secretary of State Colin Powell.
He arrived here Monday on the last leg of a three-nation Asian tour that also took him to China and Japan. The trip is aimed at forging a joint strategy with the three countries to press North Korea to resume stalled talks on its nuclear weapons programme.
10/26/2004 - 07:26 GMT - AFP