2024-01-05 06:42:18
North Korea fired more than 200 shells near two South Korean islands on its west coast on Friday, according to the South Korean Defense Ministry. The island’s residents were then asked by the ministry to seek safety, local officials told AFP. Seoul called the artillery fire a “provocative act that endangers peace on the Korean Peninsula.”
“The North Korean military fired more than 200 shots in the areas of Jangsan-got in the northern part of Baengnyeong and the northern areas of Yeonpyeong Island between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. (between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. CET) today,” a South Korean official said Ministry of Defense. North Korea must “immediately stop these actions,” the ministry said in a statement, warning it would respond with “appropriate” measures. According to South Korea’s General Staff, there was no damage from the shells.
Initially, Yeonpyeong Island officials told AFP that residents had been urged to seek safety. It is a “preventive measure”. The island is located twelve kilometers south of the North Korean coast.
Shortly afterward, a Baengnyeong Island official said the evacuation would be “announced at this moment.” He had been informed that the South Korean army would soon be holding a naval exercise.
Relations between North and South Korea are currently at a low point. North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un wants to expand weapons development, including tactical nuclear weapons. In response, South Korea and the allied US have increased their defense cooperation and held joint military exercises.
The area around the maritime border has been the scene of repeated battles between warships from both countries in the past. The so-called Northern Limit Line (NLL) is not recognized by North Korea. The border line was drawn unilaterally by a UN command after the Korean War (1950-53) to prevent hostilities between the two sides. Yeonpyeong was the target of a North Korean artillery attack in 2010. Four people were killed at that time.
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 civil war on the south’s side within the framework of the UN, while the Soviet Union and, above all, China intervened on the communist north’s side. North Korea has retained its Stalinist system, including a personality cult, over the decades; It is well equipped, but a large part of the population is in total poverty. South Korea has embarked on the path of democracy since the 1980s and has developed into a high-tech nation.
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