In an act of defiance, North Korea fired more than 200 projectiles into the waters off its western coast, once again showing its prowess his determination and military strength. An extremely provocative action that took place after the cancellation of an inter-Korean military agreement last November. After issuing an emergency evacuation order for civilians on the South Korean border islands Yeonpyeong And Baengnyeong, The South Korean military responded to this escalation by conducting live-fire military exercises. However, no damage to South Korean civilians or soldiers or fatalities were reported.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff reported the discovery of artillery fire from Capes Jangsan and Deungsan, located in the coastal areas of southwestern North Korea, between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. local time. The projectiles hit the maritime security zone north of the northern border line, the de facto maritime border in the Yellow Sea. This area, established in an inter-Korean military agreement signed on September 19, 2018 to reduce border tensions, prohibits artillery fire and naval exercises. However, last November, Pyongyang unilaterally decided to scrap that agreement after Seoul partially suspended it in protest at the “successful” launch of a North Korean military spy satellite. This unexpected breakup has further heightened tensions in the region, putting neighbors in a delicate balance and increasing the risk of a potentially devastating conflict.
The South Korean military described the action as a “provocative” act and warned of appropriate measures in close cooperation with the United States to ensure that “full responsibility for these situations that escalate the crisis rests with North Korea and we strongly call for its immediate arrest,” JCS spokesman Colonel Lee Sung lamented- Jun. .
Response from Seoul
In the afternoon, South Korean Marine Corps units conducted live-fire exercises on Baengnyeong and Yeonpyeong islands K9 self-propelled howitzers and other assets, such as K1E1 tank, against simulated targets in waters south of the Northern Boundary Line, defense officials said. Therefore, Seoul did not sit idle fired about 400 rounds in the maritime buffer zone to demonstrate its defensive capabilities, twice as many as the North fired.
On the same day, the Korean People's Army (KPA), the official name of the North Korean army, released a statement saying that the departments responsible for defending the southwest coast fired 192 projectiles against five districts as part of a live-fire exercise. The Korean Central News Agency released a statement calling the fact that the country fired projectiles against the buffer zone near Yeonpyeong and Baengnyeong islands a “far-fetched claim.” In addition, he pointed out that the exercise took place on Friday “A kind of natural countermeasure” against the recent South Korean artillery fire.
The South Korean Navy said Thursday that it had joined Washington in celebrating a live fire exercise near the northern borderwith the aim of strengthening their joint operational capabilities against their military threats. But on Friday, Pyongyang warned against such “provocations under the pretext of strengthening its readiness” and said its military would mount “a harsh response on an unprecedented scale.”
South Korean intelligence indicated a month ago that this was very likely At the beginning of 2024 there will be new military provocations or cyber attackson the eve of the South Korean general election in April and the U.S. presidential election in November.
The fateful 2010
On the Korean peninsula, history repeats itself with a threatening atmosphere. The provocative shots and the increasing tension are arousing to the fateful year of 2010. At that time, the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong became the scene of a devastating confrontation The North Korean army fired around 170 projectiles into the islandSeveral soldiers and civilians were killed. The attack sparked a strong response from the South, which responded with artillery fire and stationed F-16 fighters in the area. The incident sparked an escalation of tensions with threats of retaliation and increasing militarization in the region.
Although current circumstances have not reached the level of direct confrontation seen in 2010, shootings and military exercises at the maritime border are a cause for concern. The international community is following developments closely and is committed to maintaining stability in the region
Meanwhile, state media on Friday published images of Kim and his daughter visiting a factory that makes mobile launchers for intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), underscoring the need to bolster the country's nuclear deterrent for a week “military confrontation” with the enemy. During the inspection, Kim ordered measures to expand the production capacity of large Transporter Erector Launch Vehicles (TEL), stressing that the factory plays an important role in strengthening the country's defense capabilities, according to KCNA news agency, which he did not specify the date of the inspection .
At an important party conference at the end of the year, the chairman called for war preparations to be stepped up Deter “unprecedented” acts of confrontations led by Washington and laid out plans to launch three military spy satellites and strengthen the country's nuclear arsenal in 2024.