The South Korean army has evacuated two islands after accusing North Korea of firing more than 200 rounds of artillery shells in waters near its western coast on Friday morning – early in mainland Spain – near the western border between the two nations. In response to the shooting, several South Korean Marine Corps units practiced live-fire maneuvers hours later, firing twice as many bullets, around 400, according to the Yonhap news agency. Amid rising tensions in the region, China called for “moderation” and finding “a way to resume serious dialogue” between all parties.
The North Korean army fired more than 200 projectiles near the islands of Yeonpyeong (with about 2,000 inhabitants) and Baengnyeong (with about 2,000) between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. (1:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. Spanish peninsular time) this Friday inhabitants) from 4,329 inhabitants), reported the General Staff. South Korean set. Faced with the possibility that Pyongyang would launch further “inciting” military actions, Seoul ordered the evacuation of civilians to bomb shelters from midday, according to the island's authorities. In addition, all afternoon ferry services to these islands from Incheon, a port west of the capital, were suspended.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, accompanied by his daughter Kim Ju Ae, visits a military vehicle production facility in this picture released by the North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on January 5. KCNA (via Portal)
The explosives fired by Pyongyang this morning crossed the so-called Northern Limit Line (LLN), drawn by the United Nations after the signing of the armistice that ended the Korean War in 1953, and which acts as the de facto maritime border in the Yellow Sea. (known as the West Sea in both Koreas), although Pyongyang rejects this. The projectiles struck without damage in the buffer zone established in the 2018 military agreement signed to ease tensions, which the North Korean regime abandoned last November.
South Korea's General Staff spokesman, Colonel Lee Sung-jun, has warned “seriously” that “all responsibility for this kind of crisis escalation lies with North Korea” and has “strongly” urged its “immediate” cessation. In 2010, two soldiers and two civilians were killed in Yeonpyeong after Pyongyang fired dozens of projectiles into the island. The Joint Chiefs of Staff said that while Friday's incident did not harm the population or the military, the act “poses a threat to peace on the Korean Peninsula and increases tensions.”
According to military officials, South Korean Navy soldiers practiced live artillery fire exercises against simulated targets in the waters south of the LLN hours after the incident. This is the first such exercise Seoul has conducted around Yeonpyeong and Baengnyeong islands since the 2018 summit. At that time it was agreed to prohibit artillery maneuvers near the border and to establish maritime buffer zones and a land buffer zone in addition to a no-fly zone around the demilitarized zone.
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North Korea unilaterally abandoned the treaty last November after South Korea partially suspended it in protest over the successful launch of a military satellite with spying capabilities. However, Pyongyang had violated it several times in the last two years. Therefore, some analysts believe that officially withdrawing from the agreement may not make much of a difference.
Friday's shooting came a day after the United States and South Korea concluded a week of joint military exercises in Pocheon, north of Seoul. The war exercises tested the use of artillery, tanks, armored vehicles and A-10 Warthong aircraft. This series of exercises between the two allies angered Pyongyang, which promised that there would be retaliation against the “mad dogs” who were threatened with “painful moments.”
China calls for “moderation”
In view of the increasing tensions, China called for “moderation” this Friday: “In the current situation, we hope that all parties involved remain calm, do not take measures that increase tensions, prevent the situation from further escalating and take the appropriate measures. “These are conditions for resuming serious dialogue,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Friday.
The bombing also coincides with a day when North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called for boosting the production of several rocket launchers, a task he called an “essential task” to prepare for a “military confrontation” with the United States enemy, according to the North Korean news agency KCNA. During a key Workers' Party meeting last week, Kim ordered his country's military, munitions industry and nuclear weapons sector to speed up preparations for war. And he warned that a war – instigated, in his view, by Washington – “could break out at any moment.” In addition, he assured that unification with the South was not possible and that North Korea would change its policy towards its neighbor, whom it considers an enemy.
South Korean intelligence had already announced last month that North Korea would very likely increase its military provocations or cyberattacks in early 2024, ahead of the parliamentary elections in South Korea scheduled for April, as well as in the months before, leading up to the presidential elections in the United States in November will be held.
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