Military: "South Korea-US Shooting Drill Complies with September 19 Agreement... Repeated North Korean Violations Not Tolerated"

"All Responsibility Lies with North Korea" Warning

On the afternoon of the 5th, citizens are watching news reports about North Korea's shelling in the waiting room of Seoul Station. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seoyoon] The Ministry of National Defense stated on the 6th that the joint artillery training between South Korea and the United States is a normal exercise conducted in compliance with the September 19 Inter-Korean Military Agreement.

On the same day, the Ministry of National Defense released a statement titled "Position on the Announcement by the North Korean General Staff Spokesperson," explaining, "The ongoing South Korea-U.S. joint artillery training is a normal exercise conducted outside the ground buffer zone (5 km south of the Military Demarcation Line) where artillery firing training has been suspended according to the 'September 19 Military Agreement.'"

It added, "The North's unjust criticism of the South Korea-U.S. normal training and its repeated maritime artillery firing, which violates the September 19 Military Agreement, cannot be tolerated."

The Ministry of National Defense also warned sternly, "We hold North Korea fully responsible for the consequences caused by its unilateral and continuous violations of the September 19 Military Agreement."

North Korea has been picking faults with the South Korea-U.S. artillery firing training and has conducted artillery firing into the East Sea maritime buffer zone for two consecutive days. Following about 130 rounds fired the previous day, approximately 100 rounds, presumed to be multiple rocket launcher projectiles, fell into the maritime buffer zone on this day.

The spokesperson for the North Korean General Staff claimed on the same day, "Following yesterday (the 5th), around 9:15 a.m. today, there were indications that the enemy again fired multiple rocket launchers and howitzers near the front line," and stated, "The General Staff (omitted) issued orders to immediately carry out live-fire maritime artillery firing as a strong counter-response warning against the identified frontline artillery units."