South Korea holds live-fire drills on border island

On January 5, a few hours after North Korea fired more than 200 artillery shells into the waters off South Korea's west coast, South Korean marines on the border island of Yeonpyeong conducted live-fire drills using K9 self-propelled guns.

A South Korean army K1A2 tank participates in a joint military exercise between the South Korean and US armies near the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, January 2, 2024. Photo: WION

The event marked one of the largest live-fire exercises held in the border area, according to Nikkei Asia. According to Yonhap news agency, it was the first since the two Koreas suspended a military agreement in November 2023.

Earlier, after North Korea fired about 200 artillery shells into the country's western sea, South Korea issued an evacuation order for another border island and warned of a corresponding response.

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), the artillery shells were fired from Jangsan Cape and Deoungsan Cape, both in the southwestern coastal areas of North Korea, between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on January 5. The shells fell into the buffer zone north of the Northern Limit Line (NLL), the de facto maritime boundary between South Korea and North Korea established under the Inter-Korean Military Agreement signed on September 19, 2018, to reduce tensions between the two Koreas.

The JCS did not receive any reports of damage from the artillery fire. The South Korean military also confirmed that there were no unusual signs from North Korea after the South's live-fire drill. Residents on both western border islands of Yeonpyeong and Baengnyeong have been ordered to evacuate as requested by the military.

The artillery fire came a day after the South Korean Army announced that it and the United States had conducted live-fire exercises near the border with North Korea to enhance joint combat readiness.

The South Korean military also conducted a series of live-fire drills and other exercises this week. On January 2, South Korea successfully tested a long-range surface-to-air missile (L-SAM), a key component of its air and missile defense system, Nikkei Asia reported. On January 3, South Korea held a multilateral naval exercise around Jeju Island. The exercise involved personnel and equipment from Japan, the United States, Australia, Singapore, and Canada, among others. North Korea has protested the exercises.

KHANH HUNG

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