North Korea’s Live-Fire Exercise Sparks Military Action From South Korea
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Not just a day after it raised the chances for additional nuclear tests, North Korea held its live-fire exercises along the South Korean maritime border. This sparked an exchange of gunfire between the two countries.
According to Yonhap, the semi-official South Korean news agency, the North started their drill around noontime. The Joint Chiefs of Staff noted some of North Korea’s tests did land in South Korean waters that led to the South to respond with its own firepower.
The JCS did confirm that the offshore military exercise started around 12:15 p.m., with some of the shells reaching South Korea’s Northern Limit Line’s side. South Korea, it said, responded to North Korea’s shells by shooting off K-9 self-propelled guns.
The JCS statement is similar to the report by the Yonhap that North Korea fired multiple artillery shells that caused the military in South Korea to respond with its own artillery fire that had a 24-mile range. It was not immediately clear the number of shells North Korea fired and reached the territorial waters. While there was a brief break, North Korea’s offshore firing has resumed and near the NLL.
According to a South Korean Ministry of Defense, some of the artillery fire from North Korea did land in the Northern Limit Line’s southern half but only in the water. The spokesperson said the country fired back over that line but also into the sea. The spokesperson did not stipulate where the shots were coming from in South Korea but that the exchange of fire is still going on.
Many civilians have taken to shelters during this time.
North Korea Warns South Korea Of Its Live-Fire Drills
According to North Korea, it warned South Korea – by fax – of its live-fire drills that was taken place along the NLL in the Yellow Sea. It requested that South Korea maintain control over its vessels in the Yellow Sea’s seven sea border areas.
South Korean Defense Ministry spokesperson Wee Yong Sub said it’s the first time a scheduled live-firing exercise to take place above the NLL was announced by its northern neighbor. However, officials see the announcement as a hostile move and have triggered the country’s crisis management operation. He said South Korea is prepared for any situation it faces.
Sub said there were no instant signs of North carrying out nuclear tests.
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