Seoul's Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said Tuesday it was informed by Pyongyang of the planned drills.
"Although the notified regions are located north of the NLL (Northern Limit Line), the South Korean military is taking safety measures for residents, including control of civilian vessels. We told North Korea we will sternly respond if its artillery shells fall on the side of the NLL. Our military is paying close attention to whether North Korea will conduct its live fire drill, and on the shell falling area, while keeping a full readiness posture," said Kim.
South Korean media reported that fishing vessels in the area have been evacuated and some residents are taking shelter.
The North held similar drills last month. Some of the artillery landed in the South's waters, prompting Seoul to exchange fire across the boundary.
Such drills are not unusual, but typically further strain relations between the two long-time rivals, which are still technically at war.
Tensions are already higher than usual following warnings that Pyongyang may be preparing to conduct a fourth nuclear test.
During a visit to Seoul last week, President Barack Obama warned that another test would only further isolate the North.
North Korea has conducted nuclear tests in 2006, 2009, and 2013 in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
[voanews.com]
28/4/14
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North Korea conducts firing drills near disputed border with South...
ReplyDelete(Reuters) - North Korea conducted live fire drills on Tuesday in two areas near a disputed sea border with South Korea that have been the scene of deadly clashes and where they fired hundreds of artillery rounds only weeks ago.
North Korea conducted similar drills in late March, firing more than 500 artillery rounds near the Northern Limit Line (NLL), a disputed maritime border that has been the de facto sea border since the 1950-53 Korean war.
More than 100 rounds landed south of the border during that drill, prompting South Korea to fire hundreds of rounds back into the North's waters.
The latest round of firing began at about 2 p.m. local time (0500 GMT) on Tuesday. No rounds appeared to have landed south of the NLL border, a military official from the South said.
It came hours after the North notified South Korea of the areas near populated South Korean islands where it would conduct the exercise.
The Northern Limit Line is an extension of the land border between the two Koreas, stretching into the sea west of the Korean peninsula.
North Korea has refused to recognize the line as the sea border and has periodically challenged the South by violating it and demanding a new border be set further to the south....................http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/29/us-korea-north-idUSBREA3S01920140429?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews
29/4/14