[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] All Forces Gathered... 'Legendary Island' Baengnyeongdo

Report from Baengnyeongdo on West Sea Defense Day
Tension over North Korean provocations with K-9 self-propelled howitzers and Cheonmu missile systems

There is a legendary island where a scholar who once lived in the old Hwanghae Province was introduced as a place with many lovers and lived happily. It is Baengnyeongdo. However, it is now an island full of pain. On March 26, 2010, the Cheonan ship carrying 104 crew members was attacked by a North Korean torpedo on this island. Forty-six of our navy soldiers died in the line of duty.

Baengnyeongdo is closer to North Korea than to South Korea. It is only 14 km from Jangsan Cape in North Korea, but the distance to Wolgot-myeon, Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, is 158 km. This is why tensions cannot be relaxed. On the occasion of the West Sea Defense Day, I visited Baengnyeongdo, the only island where all the army, navy, air force, and marine corps are gathered, for five nights and six days starting from the 15th.

The K-9 self-propelled howitzer owned by the Marine Corps.

Next-Generation Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) 'Cheonmu' Deployed to the Marine Corps

On the 13th of this month, when the South Korea-U.S. joint exercise "Freedom Shield (FS)" began, North Korea fired a strategic cruise missile from a submarine for the first time in protest against the joint exercise. At the same time, strong winds blew, causing passenger ships to be canceled. After being stranded at Incheon Port for two days, I finally boarded the passenger ship bound for Baengnyeongdo.

Marine Corps Artillery Company with K-9 Self-Propelled Howitzers Ready to Counterattack Within 5 Minutes... Army Aviation Unit's Cobra Helicopters Prepared for North Korean Surprise Infiltration

The first place I visited on Baengnyeongdo was the Marine Corps artillery company equipped with K-9 self-propelled howitzers. The first impression of the unit was like looking at a royal tomb from the Three Kingdoms period. It was a kind of bunker built in response to North Korean artillery fire. It was called a 'fortification.' Opening the thick iron door at the entrance of the fortification, I found five soldiers waiting inside the K-9 self-propelled howitzer. With the recent escalation of provocations such as North Korea opening coastal artillery, they were in a state of readiness to counterattack within five minutes.

The howitzer's direction is aimed at specific areas such as the Jangsan Peninsula in North Korea even during peacetime. This is to reduce the counterattack time by even a few seconds. Simulated artillery fire drills were repeatedly conducted. Within a few minutes of training, all 40 rounds mounted on the K-9 self-propelled howitzer were expended. After the firing drill ended, the K-9 howitzer reversed about 10 meters outside the fortification and turned its barrel 180 degrees to aim at the sea. The K-10 ammunition resupply armored vehicle, which automatically supplies ammunition to the K-9 howitzer, was also on standby 24 hours a day. The ammunition loaded on the K-10 armored vehicle was enough for two K-9 howitzers. Sergeant Kim Gyuri, the armament and ammunition squad leader, firmly said, “There is only real combat when it comes to ammunition supply missions to the right place at the right time.”

About a 10-minute drive by vehicle brought me to the unit gate with the words "Absolute Defense of the Northwestern Islands." It was a multiple rocket launcher company operating rocket launchers with multiple rocket tubes. The unit was quiet. However, opening the iron gate where the multiple rocket launchers were deployed revealed the next-generation multiple launch rocket system (MLRS) "Cheonmu," capable of devastating an area three times the size of a soccer field, and the soldiers were moving tirelessly.

The Army Aviation Unit joined Baengnyeongdo in 2011. The first aircraft deployed by the Army Aviation Unit was the American military multipurpose light helicopter 500MD, but it was later completely replaced by the world's first attack helicopter, the Cobra. The Army Aviation Unit is a force prepared against North Korea's air-cushion vehicles (vessels that move slightly above ground or water to land), AN-2 infiltrator aircraft (low-altitude infiltration aircraft), and unmanned aerial vehicles. If North Korea launches air-cushion vehicles from the Goampo area of Jangsan Peninsula in Hwanghae Province, they arrive at Baengnyeongdo within 15 minutes. When slow aircraft or drones are dispatched from the north, counterattack flights are launched simultaneously. The Cobra helicopter can be deployed within 10 minutes. The Cobra helicopters were always fully loaded with ammunition and fuel to conduct 30 operations in 24 hours. A military official said, “Since last September, emergency flights have increased more than tenfold, and we are preparing through repeated training and flights.”

First Media Visit to Navy Forward Base... Rising Tensions at the NLL

At the forward base revealed to the media for the first time, soldiers of the state-of-the-art 211 patrol boat are preparing to dock after completing their mission near the NLL.

I also visited the Navy's forward base on Baengnyeongdo. The forward base is a temporary base where fast patrol boats departing from the 2nd Fleet in Pyeongtaek and heading to the Northern Limit Line (NLL) stay briefly, and this is the first time it has been opened to the media.

Fast patrol boats do not perform missions continuously for more than 24 hours. They must briefly dock at the forward base to refuel and resupply food before setting out again. Missions last for a week. The forward base is the northernmost base of the Navy. As the crab season approaches, the area near the NLL becomes more complex operationally, with not only our fishermen but also Chinese fishing boats increasing. As night fell, the 211 fast patrol boat, which had completed its mission at the NLL, docked. The fast patrol boat departed before dawn, before our fishermen began fishing activities, and docked only after the fishing time was over.

The 211 fast patrol boat was different in size from previous fast patrol boats. At the rear of the ship, a 130mm guided rocket (Biryong) launcher caught the eye. In the center of the ship, a K-6 unmanned automated machine gun was also visible. The soldiers seen between the streetlights illuminating the darkened coastline showed no signs of fatigue despite the 12-hour mission. Rather, the tension of the NLL was fully conveyed. Captain Bae Dong-hwi, commander of the 211 patrol boat, said, “Although the level of military provocations has recently escalated, we are in a state of readiness to fight, thinking that we must protect the safety of fishermen as well as the West Sea NLL, where the souls of the 55 West Sea warriors are enshrined.”

'Defense of Northwestern Islands Airspace' Baengnyeongdo Air Force Unit, 360-Degree Rotating Radar

The Air Force base located on Baengnyeongdo has deployed anti-aircraft weapons since 2016, installing them inside bunkers to prepare for a preemptive strike from North Korea.

The airspace over Baengnyeongdo was guarded by an Air Force unit. The Air Force missile defense battery had the words “Defense of Northwestern Islands Airspace” clearly written on the building. The battery has deployed anti-aircraft weapons since 2016. The anti-aircraft weapons intercept enemy aircraft infiltrating at medium and low altitudes. The anti-aircraft weapons consist of launchers, radar, and a fire control center, usually mounted on vehicles. However, all the anti-aircraft weapons deployed on Baengnyeongdo were placed in bunkers as a countermeasure against North Korea's preemptive strikes.

The radar rotates 360 degrees, detecting numerous targets and enabling simultaneous engagements. Considering the radar's detection range of over 50 km, it can monitor the Taetan Air Base in South Hwanghae Province in real time. The anti-aircraft weapon launchers are positioned facing the sky 24 hours a day. This is also to reduce response firing time. Lieutenant Colonel Kang Yong-geun, the battery commander, said, “Baengnyeongdo is the place where the Marine Corps, Army, and Navy have the best joint capabilities. We will do our best as all forces to defend the NLL.”

Baengnyeongdo is surrounded by numerous islands. Except for Daecheongdo and Socheongdo behind it, all are North Korean land and islands. The small North Korean island Wolrye-do, 8 km from Baengnyeongdo, was visible. The North Korean military buildings installed on Wolrye-do were also clearly visible. However, Baengnyeongdo, where all the forces are gathered, remains “all clear” today as well.