North Korea has launched a series of artillery strikes in the east and west seas, violating the September 19 inter-Korean military agreement. It is the first armed demonstration in 17 days, and it is noted that it is due to discontent with the recent sanctions against North Korea announced jointly by the US and South Korea. Journalist Kim Hwan-yong reports from Seoul.
The South Korean Chiefs of Staff announced on the 5th that they had captured artillery fire, estimated at about 130 multiplexers, fired into the East Sea and West Sea from about 2:59 pm on the 5th in the Geumgang-gun area, Gangwon-do , North Korea, and the Jangsan-got area, South Hwanghae-do, respectively.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff explained that the point of impact of the shells was within the Northern Limit Line and the maritime buffer zone north of the NLL.
The maritime buffer zone is a place where South Korea and North Korea have agreed to ban hostilities according to the September 19 military agreement.
In response, the South Korean military issued several warning communications demanding an immediate cessation of the provocation, calling it a violation of the 9.19 Inter-Korean Military Agreement.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff said: “The artillery fire inside the maritime buffer zone in the Eastern and Western Seas is a clear violation of the 9/19 military agreement.”
It has been about a month since North Korea’s artillery fired 80 rounds into the buffer zone in the East Sea from the Geumgang-gun area, Gangwon-do on the 3rd of last month.
North Korea launched one “Hwasong-17” intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and five short-range ballistic missiles (SRBM) on the same day in response to the US-ROK “Vigilant Storm” joint air exercise at the time.
It has been 17 days since North Korea’s armed demonstration, including missiles, was fired at 10:15 on the 18th of last month from Pyongyang’s Sunan area in the East Sea.
This bombing is an observation that the North Korean military, which is known to be in winter training, is an armed demonstration against multiple rocket launcher firing exercises (MLRS) conducted by the South Korean military and USFK in the Cheorwon area .
In the Cheorwon area, the United States and South Korea are known to conduct gunnery exercises from the morning of 5 to 6, including 50 multiple launch rocket launchers (MLRS) and 140 K-9 self-propelled howitzers.
The South Korean military is said to proceed with existing planned training despite artillery fire from North Korea.
There is also an analysis that this is a reaction against the sanctions against North Korea that the United States, South Korea and Japan recently issued simultaneously.
Through coordination, on the 2nd the three countries each announced sanctions against individuals and organizations involved in North Korea’s nuclear and missile development.
US, South Korea and Japan are tightening their sanctions as the UN Security Council is unable to work out further measures for North Korea’s subsequent violations of Security Council resolutions due to non-cooperation of China and Russia.
It is noted that North Korea’s latest provocation is an expression of dissatisfaction with the sanction-enhancing measures of these three countries against North Korea.
This is VOA News’ Kim Hwan-yong from Seoul.
