North Korea is now calling on South Korea to "immediately stop the intrusion across the military border" and warns that the operation could lead to an escalation of tensions between the countries, reports AP.

"It catches our attention because it could lead to another horrific event," writes the state-run North Korean news agency KCNA.

South Korea denies the allegations, saying they only searched for the man on its side of the border, and has suggested that the countries jointly investigate the incident.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is said to have apologized to South Korea for the incident, according to the South Korean presidential office.

Photo: TT

Apology from Kim Jong-Un

On Friday, South Korea's presidency announced that North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un had apologized for the shooting death of the man, who was on a boat near North Korea's southwestern border.

North Korea has not confirmed that an apology has been issued but says the soldiers shot the man because they suspected he was trying to cross the border.

The soldiers are then said to have burned the body because North Korea's harsh corona laws dictate lethal force to prevent infection from crossing the border.