SEOUL (AFP) - South Korea's frontline military units have been put on their highest state of alert after discovering a hole in a fence that separates it from North Korea, defense officials said. The defense ministry said a small hole was found overnight on a wire fence on the South's side of the Demilitarized Zone that has divided the two Koreas since the 1950-1953 Korean War. Ministry official Oh Jeong-Hee told AFP that an investigation was under way to search for a possible infiltration by North Korean elements. "The ministry put the military units in charge of the border area on the highest 'Jindogae I' alert immediately and also other units in its surrounding areas on alert." The "Jindogae I" alert is the highest level for South Korean military to cope with the possible intrusion of armed guerrillas from the communist North. He said South Korean soldiers found a breach in the wire fence at Yeoncheon, 62 kilometers (40 miles) north of Seoul early Tuesday.
