“The North Korean military fired more than 200 rounds in the areas of Jangsan-got, the northern part of Baengnyeong and the northern areas of Yeonpyeong Island between 9am and 11am (between 1am and 3am CET) today,” said a statement from the South. Korean official said Ministry of Defense.
The missiles landed in the Yellow Sea, north of the maritime boundary line, South Korea's General Staff said on Friday. The grenades did not cause damage. North Korea must “immediately cease these actions,” the Defense Ministry said in a statement, warning that it would respond with “appropriate” measures.
“Preventive measure”
Yeonpyeong said the call for residents to seek safety is a “preventive measure.” The island is located twelve kilometers south of the North Korean coast. Yeonpyeong was the target of a North Korean artillery attack in 2010. Four people were killed at that time. An official later announced similar measures for Baengnyeong Island.
Kim calls for expansion of rocket launcher production
According to state media, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un called on Friday (local time) for the expansion of rocket launcher production – in preparation for a “military confrontation” with South Korea. and the USA. Kim's call came during a visit to the factory, North Korean news agency KCNA reported on Friday.
Shortly before, the US government announced that North Korea had recently delivered ballistic missiles and rocket launchers to Russia, some of which were used in the recent attacks on Ukraine.
USA: Handover to Russia “significant escalation”
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Thursday that some of the rockets and rocket launchers were used in attacks on Dec. 30 and Jan. 2. Kirby called this a “significant and concerning escalation” in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.
Kirby announced that the US and its allies would now bring the matter to the table of the UN Security Council. North Korea's arms sales to Russia constituted a violation of UN sanctions imposed on the East Asian country, he stressed.
According to Kirby, one of the North Korean missiles was fired at southern Ukraine on December 30. The bullet landed in an open field in the Zaporizhia region. On January 2, the Russian armed forces used “several” North Korean missiles in powerful airstrikes. The US has previously reported deliveries of North Korean weapons to Russia in recent months.
South Korea and the US ended exercises
Despite recent warnings from North Korea, South Korea and the United States held their week-long military exercises near the Korean border as planned. The joint heavy weapons combat exercises are designed to test and improve combat readiness by simulating an enemy attack, South Korea said on Thursday. The exercises began on December 29th and ended on Thursday.
North Korea called the military exercises “reckless military maneuvers” and mocked South Korea for supporting U.S. claims of supremacy “even though it has no chance of winning or surviving.” “With the instinct for confrontation deeply rooted, the puppets have once again rang in the New Year with an aggressive and warlike decision,” said a commentary from North Korea's state news agency KCNA. 2024 is therefore the year with the greatest risk of conflict.
Still in a state of war under international law
The Korean Peninsula has been divided for decades and is still in a state of war under international law. There was no peace agreement after the Korean War, only an armistice. At that time, the USA intervened in the war on the southern side, within the framework of the UN, while the Soviet Union and, above all, China intervened on the communist side in the north.
North Korea has maintained its Stalinist system, including a personality cult, over the decades; It is well equipped, but a large part of the population lives in total poverty. South Korea has embarked on the path of democracy since the 1980s and has become a high-tech nation.