Possibilities can not be ruled out that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has recently heightened tensions near the inter-Korean border area to protest against South Korean civic groups flying anti-DPRK leaflets across the border, Seoul's defense ministry said Monday.

Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok told a press briefing that there are some thinkable intentions of the DPRK behind provocations during the weekend, including preparations to shift responsibility on South Korea for another provocations in case of civic groups dispersing anti-DPRK leaflets in the border area.

On Sunday, South Korea and the DPRK exchanged fires across the land border in Paju, some 40 km northwest of capital Seoul, as about 10 DPRK soldiers approached the military demarcation line ( MDL) inside the demilitarized zone (DMZ).

After broadcasting warning messages, South Korea launched warning shots against the DPRK soldiers who fired back against the South Korean guard post within the DMZ. The exchange of machine gun fire lasted for about 10 minutes.

On Saturday, another DPRK soldiers approached the MDL in Cheorwon, some 88 km northeast of Seoul, to read markers on the northern side of the MDL. They returned back to the north after South Korea fired warning shots, to which the DPRK troops did not respond.

DPRK soldiers often approach the MDL to read the markers as part of reconnaissance activity, but it was the first time this year that the DPRK fired back against South Korean warning shots, indicating the DPRK's strong military response to future provocations, especially the scattering of anti-DPRK leaflets.

On Oct. 10, the DPRK forces fired machine gun toward balloons carrying the anti-DPRK leaflets floated by a South Korean civic organization. Some conservative South Korean civic groups recently announced their plan to fly anti-DPRK leaflets on Oct. 25 in areas near the western inter-Korean land border, causing the DPRK's threat of aimed shots.

Pyongyang repeatedly called for the stop of the leaflets spreading, accusing Seoul of supporting and acquiescing to the leaflets distribution. South Korea has denied the DPRK's allegation, saying it was groundless to claim that the leaflets scattering was connected with the authorities.