Koreas in naval artillery exchange
Print Edition
NORTH and South Korean warships exchanged artillery fire yesterday in disputed waters off the western coast, South Korean military officials said, in the latest sign of rising animosity between the bitter rivals in recent weeks.
Officials from South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff and Defense Ministry said a South Korean navy ship was on a routine patrol near the countries’ disputed maritime boundary in the Yellow Sea when a North Korean navy ship fired two artillery shells. The shells did not hit the South Korean ship and fell in waters near it.
The South Korean ship then fired several rounds in waters near the North Korean ship, said officials.
South Korea was trying to determine if the North Korean ship had attempted to hit the South Korean vessel but missed, or if the shells were not meant to hit the ship.
Officials said that residents on the frontline Yeonpyeong Island were evacuated to shelters, and fishing boats in the area were ordered to return to ports. In 2010, North Korea fired artillery at the island, killing two civilians and two marines.
Kang Myeong-sung, a Yeonpyeong resident, said that hundreds of residents went to underground shelters after loudspeaker messages ordered them there. He heard artillery fire and said many people felt uneasy at first but later began to stop worrying.
Both Koreas regularly conduct artillery drills in the disputed waters. The sea boundary is not clearly marked, and the area has been the scene of three bloody naval skirmishes between the rival Koreas since 1999.
North Korea has in recent weeks conducted artillery drills and missile tests and has unleashed a torrent of racist and sexist rhetoric at the leaders of the US and South Korea.
On Tuesday, South Korean navy ships fired warning shots to repel three North Korean warships that briefly violated the disputed sea boundary. On Wednesday, North Korea’s military vowed to retaliate.
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