N. Korea threatens strikes against South’s navy
Print Edition
NORTH Korea warned yesterday that it was prepared to fire on sight without warning at South Korean naval vessels it accused of violating their disputed Yellow Sea border.
The Korean People’s Army said 17 South Korean patrol boats had crossed into its territorial waters in the first week of May “under the pretext” of intercepting Chinese fishing boats.
Issuing an “emergency special warning,” the KPA said the North Korean military would henceforth “make a sighting strike without any prior warning” on any South Korean naval ship deemed to have entered its waters.
In the event of any armed response, the KPA will “successively deal strong second, third and more retaliatory strikes at them,” according to a statement carried by the North’s official KCNA news agency.
The South Korean defence ministry flatly denied the charges of incursions by its vessels, and accused the North of seeking to stir up tensions.
In a message to the KPA command, ministry spokesman Kim Nin-Seok said any aggression would be met with a strong, stern response “to the degree where you will bitterly repent.”
The Koreas recognize different boundaries dividing their Yellow Sea territorial waters.
The North argues that the demarcation recognized by the South — the Northern Limit Line (NLL) — is invalid because it was unilaterally drawn by US-led forces after the 1950-53 Korean War.
The North recognizes the Military Demilitarization Line, which is south of the NLL.
Because the Korean conflict ended with a ceasefire rather than a treaty, the two Koreas remain technically at war.
The maritime border was the scene of brief but bloody naval clashes in 1999, 2002 and 2009.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
