N. Korea Holds Top-Level Talks W/Russia, Troops Briefly Cross Inter-Korean Border Again

South Korean media report that the North's soldiers were found to have briefly crossed the inter-Korean border for the second time in just two weeks, just as the state visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Pyongyang got underway.

• Yonhap News Agency writes that "North Korean soldiers working in the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas briefly crossed into the South again Tuesday before returning to their side after the South fired warning shots."
• Communique from South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff suggested that the incidents seemed to be accidental but were likely related to the increased presence of North Korean troops in front-line areas.
• This comes as Russia's Vladimir Putin touched down in the North Korean capital for a two-day visit, vowing to upgrade bilateral relations, which could involve the development of alternative trade and mutual settlement systems.
• JoongAng Daily ran a piece noting that South Korea believes that Russia and North Korea could tighten their cooperation to a level on the verge of an "automatic military intervention in the event of an emergency."