North and South Korea exchanged fire Friday after gunners in the North targeted balloons carrying leaflets critical of the country 's reclusive regime , the South Korean Defense Ministry said . North Korean gunners fired anti-aircraft rounds at the balloons for 20 minutes , and some of the shots landed on South Korean soil , the ministry said . After a warning , South Korea responded with a 40 rounds from a heavy machine gun , the ministry said . South Korean activists released the balloons filled with fliers critical of the North on Monday , the Defense Ministry said . The exchange is the latest in a series of similar incidents between the two countries , the most recent of which came Tuesday , when patrol boats from North Korea and South Korea exchanged fire in the Yellow Sea , according to the South Korean Defense Ministry . It also comes amid tentative diplomatic overtures by North Korea and continuing intrigue over the status of the country 's leader , Kim Jung Un , who has not been seen publicly for more than a month . Kim Jong Un misses shrine visit . A North Korean official said last week that the country was ready to resume negotiations over the country 's nuclear efforts with Russia , the United States , China , Japan and South Korea . High-ranking Pyongyang officials also visited South Korea on Saturday , saying the North was willing to hold a new round of diplomatic talks between the two countries . North Korea has also reached out to the European Union . Ri Tong Il , the North Korean deputy ambassador to the United Nations , said Tuesday that North Korea and the European Union would hold human rights talks at the end of the year . Why has North Korea decided to talk now ? Kim 's disappearance from public view has also stoked discussion about who is leading the country and what 's next . He missed a ceremony Friday in honor of his late father and grandfather on the 69th anniversary of one of the most powerful institutions in North Korean life , the Workers ' Party of North Korea . Kim , 31 , who first appeared as the North 's top leader in 2010 , has not been seen publicly since September 3 , according to NK News . Is Kim Jong Un 's sister in charge ?
Meanwhile , Korean forces cease fire after North opens up on balloons with anti - aircraft guns . The balloons carried leaflets critical of the North , South Korean Defense Ministry says . The exchange occurred amid widespread speculation over the fate of the North 's missing troops . North Korea has also made some diplomatic overtures in recent days .