North Korea Fires Artillery at East Coast Buffer Zone for Second Day... "More Aggressively" Threatens

JCS "All Fired About 100 Rounds"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Seoyoon] North Korea fired artillery shells into the maritime buffer zone of the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the East Sea for the second consecutive day. This is a violation of the September 19 Military Agreement. North Korea threatened that its military response would become more aggressive. There are observations that this is a 'justification buildup' for high-intensity provocations.

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, North Korea fired about 90 rounds of what are presumed to be multiple rocket launcher shells into the maritime buffer zone from the area around Goseong County, Gangwon Province, starting around 10 a.m. until the afternoon on the 6th. Then, from around 6 p.m., it fired an additional 10 rounds into the same zone from the area around Geumgang County, Gangwon Province.

This was a show of force provocation in response to the South Korea-U.S. joint multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) training conducted for the second day at Damteo Jinj i in Samyul-ri, Cheorwon, Gangwon Province. A total of about 100 rounds were fired throughout the day, and all impact points were within the Northern Limit Line (NLL) northern East Sea maritime buffer zone. The impact points are within the maritime buffer zone, which violates the September 19 Military Agreement.

The North Korean General Staff, through a morning spokesperson announcement, claimed to have detected 'signs of firing' from the South and said it 'immediately ordered live-fire naval artillery to strongly warn and respond.' In the afternoon, it stated, "As part of the response and warning, 82 rounds of multiple rocket launcher shells were fired into the sea over 8 hours and 30 minutes."

In particular, it said, "Our military once again sternly warns the enemy side to immediately stop provocative military actions near the frontline area," and asserted, "Our military response to the continued provocative actions of the enemy will definitely be different from yesterday and today, and from today to tomorrow, becoming more aggressive."

The military issued multiple warning communications regarding North Korea's artillery fire in the East Sea, demanding 'immediate cessation of provocations and adherence to the September 19 Military Agreement.' The Joint Chiefs emphasized, "The consecutive artillery fire within the East Sea maritime buffer zone is a clear 'violation of the September 19 Military Agreement,' and we strongly urge an immediate halt."

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

The military rebutted North Korea's brazen claims, stating that the South Korea-U.S. artillery firing training is a normal exercise that does not violate the inter-Korean military agreement. The Ministry of National Defense issued a statement regarding the North Korean General Staff spokesperson's announcement, explaining, "The ongoing South Korea-U.S. joint artillery firing training is a normal exercise conducted outside the ground buffer zone (5 km south of the Military Demarcation Line) where artillery firing training is suspended under the September 19 Military Agreement."

The Ministry of National Defense added, "North Korea's unjust criticism of the South Korea-U.S. normal training and its repeated maritime artillery firing that violates the September 19 Military Agreement cannot be tolerated. We sternly warn North Korea that it bears full responsibility for the consequences caused by its unilateral and continuous violations of the September 19 Military Agreement."

Despite North Korea's artillery fire and warnings the previous day, South Korea and the U.S. proceeded with the planned second day of multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) and K-9 self-propelled howitzer firing training in the Cheorwon area. The military had announced that 24 MLRS rounds would be fired during the artillery training that day.

North Korea also fired about 130 live rounds into the sea the previous day, criticizing the South Korea-U.S. military exercises. This recent North Korean artillery firing is about a month after North Korea fired about 80 rounds into the East Sea buffer zone from the area around Geumgang County, Gangwon Province, on the 3rd of last month in protest against the South Korea-U.S. joint air exercise 'Vigilant Storm.'