[Yang Nak-gyu's Defense Club] Response Status by Time of North GP Shooting Incident

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu Reporter] On the 3rd, North Korean troops fired shots at our side’s surveillance post (GP) in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) of the central front line in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, but it was confirmed that the K-6 machine gun remote firing system (RCWS) of our military did not operate properly.

According to military officials on the 13th, at around 7:41 a.m. on the 3rd, GP personnel reported to their superiors after hearing flashes and impact sounds on the outer wall of the GP. The personnel felt vibrations from the impact sounds at the GP and recognized that they had been hit.

The GP commander immediately pressed the emergency bell, and at 7:45 a.m., all GP personnel entered combat readiness posture. Then, at 7:51 a.m., the deputy GP commander identified three bullet marks on the outer wall of the GP. The remaining one was found at 8:05 a.m. The bullets fired by North Korean troops hit below the bulletproof window installed in the GP observation room to monitor the front. Four rounds formed a cluster within 1 to 2 meters.

The military estimates that more than four rounds were fired, assuming that a "Ssangyeol Gosa-chong" (twin-barrel anti-personnel gun) was installed at the North Korean GP, but the GP personnel testified that they heard gunshots three times consecutively. At that time, the GP commander judged that the bullets were fired from the North Korean GP located to the right of their GP.

At 7:56 a.m., the GOP (General Outpost) battalion commander ordered firing at the North Korean GP. He had left work at 4 p.m. the previous day and gave the order after receiving a report while commuting to work that morning. From 8:01 to 8:04 a.m., under the control of the GP commander, an attempt was made to strike using the K-6 machine gun remote firing system, but it failed due to a malfunction of the system. The remote firing system is designed to fire remotely from the command and control room to prevent being hit. Emergency measures were taken three times to restore functionality, but it did not operate. The military confirmed that the malfunction was due to the rupture of the machine gun’s firing pin (a metal rod that strikes the primer to cause an explosion).

At 8:13 a.m., the regimental commander, who was observing the process via a video system, ordered firing with the K-3 machine gun. The K-3 was quickly moved sideways within the GP and 15 rounds were fired toward the lower part of the North Korean GP. The first aimed shot came 22 minutes after discovering the three bullet marks and 32 minutes after the initial impact sound was heard. The GP commander found a bullet casing on the ground and confirmed it was from a North Korean 14.5mm Gosa-chong.

At 8:18 a.m., the division commander ordered manual firing with the K-6, which is the same type as the North Korean Gosa-chong, and a second response shot of 15 rounds was fired toward the North Korean GP observation post. In total, 30 rounds were fired in two aimed shots.

The military did not provide detailed information immediately after the incident, which led to criticism, and after ten days, they belatedly disclosed detailed response measures, drawing criticism for the "delayed disclosure." The Joint Chiefs of Staff explained regarding the criticism that the battalion commander, not the GP commander, ordered the first response shot, which some saw as violating the principle of "action first, report later," stating, "It is a principle that the battalion commander orders firing of heavy weapons such as the K-6, but the GP commander can take preemptive action. Therefore, it is not considered a violation of that principle."

The Joint Chiefs of Staff emphasized that their position remains that the shooting incident was an accidental situation by North Korean troops but stated that the incident violated the "September 19 Military Agreement." The Ministry of National Defense sent a traditional message to the North at 9:35 a.m. on the 3rd under the name of the South Korean chief representative of the inter-Korean general-level military talks, protesting and urging an apology and measures to prevent recurrence. However, the North has not yet responded.

The United Nations Command Military Armistice Commission dispatched a special investigation team to the South Korean GP hit by North Korean bullets on the 4th, one day after the incident, to investigate. The UN Command, currently preparing a report, is expected to focus on whether the South Korean military’s response of 30 rounds to North Korea’s four or more rounds will be judged as "excessive response."