South Korea summons Russia's ambassador over Moscow's new pact with North as inter-Korean tensions keep rising

Seoul, South Korea — South Korea summoned the Russian ambassador to protest Moscow's new defense pact with North Korea on Friday as tensions at the Koreas' heavily fortified border continued to rise with vague threats from Pyongyang and brief, seemingly accidental incursions by North Korean troops.

Earlier Friday, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un issued a vague threat of retaliation after South Korean activists flew balloons carrying anti-Pyongyang propaganda leaflets across the border, and South Korea's military said it had fired warning shots the previous day to repel North Korean soldiers who briefly crossed the rivals' land border for the third time this month.

That came two days after Moscow and Pyongyang reached a pact vowing mutual defense assistance if either is attacked, and a day after Seoul responded by saying it would consider providing arms to Ukraine to fight Russia's invasion.