The small South Korean islands near which Pyongyang fired hundreds of shells on Friday, prompting Seoul to conduct a live-fire exercise there, have been at the center of tensions between the two neighbors on several occasions.
• Also read: Pyongyang fires around 200 shells off the coast, prompting civilians on the South Korean island to evacuate
Where are these islands?
The two islands lie less than two kilometers from the de facto maritime border between the two Koreas, the so-called Northern Boundary Line.
Sovereignty over these islands was granted to South Korea through the Armistice Agreement of 1953, which ended fighting in the Korean War. However, this text did not establish a precise maritime boundary and was never replaced by a formal peace treaty, meaning that the two countries remain technically at war.
Although they are controlled by Seoul and lie on the southern side of the maritime border, the islands of Baengnyeong and Yeonpyeong are much closer to North Korea: the former is only 14 km from North Korean territory, while it is about 210 km west of Seoul.
AFP
Baengnyeong is strategically important to Seoul as it ensures control of key shipping lanes in the Yellow Sea, without which the South Korean port of Incheon would be cut off from the world.
Were there any precedents?
In 2010, in response to a South Korean live-fire exercise near the maritime border, the North bombed Yeonpyeong Island, killing four South Koreans, two soldiers and two civilians.
It was the first attack on a civilian area since the Korean War (1950-1953). The South retaliated and the exchange lasted more than an hour, with about 200 shells fired by both sides, briefly raising fears that a full-scale war would break out.
What about the buffer zone?
The de facto maritime border was the scene of deadly naval battles in 1999, 2002 and 2009. Baengnyeong has also long been a powder keg: North Korean leader Kim Jong Un claimed in 2013 that he was capable of “raining sea fire.” on the island and then organized amphibious mock invasion exercises in 2017.
In 2018, at a time of warming relations, the two Koreas signed a military agreement to ease tensions, pledging to prevent accidental clashes in a so-called “buffer zone” along the northern border line.
But Seoul partially suspended the deal in November to protest Pyongyang's launch of a spy satellite, and the North rejected the entire agreement shortly after.
What does Yeonpyeong look like?
Many places on the island bear the scars of the deadly attack in 2010 and testify to the threat posed by its proximity to North Korea.
Seoul has sent troop and weapons reinforcements to Yeonpyeong, where military posts are scattered throughout. Practice artillery fire can also be heard frequently in the region.
AFP
Emergency evacuation exercises take place regularly, usually in one of the island's bunkers.
Residents complain that bombings have driven away tourists since 2010. According to local media, the proportion of low-income households in Yeonpyeong has more than quadrupled since the deadly bombing 14 years ago.
Are these islands a tourist destination?
Despite the dangers – the ferry that goes to the island takes a detour to reduce its exposure to North Korean attacks – Baengnyeong is a niche tourist destination.
Hundreds of tourists, mostly locals, travel there every week, attracted both by its proximity to the north and the natural beauty of the place.
“This island is over 10 million years old. Korea has only been divided for 70 years. One day it will be just a distant memory,” Kim Chang-hee, 75, a park guide, told AFP in 2022.