The situation between South Korea and its northern neighbor remains tense well into 2024. On Friday morning, between 9:00 and 11:00 local time, North Korea fired more than 200 artillery shells at two islands, off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula. The projectiles fell into the sea, north of the maritime border between the two countries, according to the South Korean general staff.
There were no casualties on Yeonpyeong and Baengnyeong islands. Yeonpyeong residents were asked to go to shelters. It is not yet clear whether this has anything to do with the shooting in North Korea. According to the AP agency, residents reported that this measure was linked to military maneuvers that South Korea has been carrying out in the maritime area since Friday.
Lee Sung Joon, spokesman for South Korea’s General Staff, told Reuters that Seoul places “responsibility for the escalation of this crisis solely on North Korea.” “This is a provocative act that threatens peace on the Korean Peninsula,” the spokesperson said. “We warmly invite you [a Corea del Norte] stop these actions immediately.”
Where did the bullets go?
Shots from North Korea fell near the small islands of Yeonpyeong and Baengnyeong, but not on the mainland. These islands are located near the North Korean mainland, but belong to South Korea. The artillery fell north of the Northern Limit Line (LLN), a de facto disputed border drawn by the United Nations at the end of the Korean War in 1953. The NLL it runs three nautical miles from the North Korean coast and is not, as suggested by North Korea, an extension of the line that delimits the demilitarization zone between the two countries.
In 2010, North Korea attacked Yeonpyeong, killing four people. The island is almost eight square kilometers large and approximately 2,100 people live there. In December 2022, North Korea launched projectiles into the sea around the LLN. A military pact between the two countries, agreed in 2018, was supposed to ensure tranquility in the buffer zone. But after North Korea launched a spy satellite in November 2023 – another provocation – South Korea partially suspended the deal. In response, North Korea announced that it will abandon all measures to avoid conflict and deploy new military equipment in the border region.
Kim Jong-un, leader of North Korea. Image: KCNA/REUTERS
What is North Korea’s military capability?
North Korea’s secrecy does not allow reliable data to be provided. But the Bonn International Center for Conflict Studies (BICC) conducted research for its Global Militarization Index 2022 and made an estimate based on the results. Due to unclear facts, North Korea was not included in the official index. But according to researchers’ estimates, in 2022 North Korea was the most militarized country in the world. According to the BICC, North Korea ranks first in the world in military and personnel spending categories. In the field of heavy weapons it ranked second, behind Israel.
According to the BICC, Army, Air Force and Navy equipment is obsolete. Despite this, North Korea has a disproportionately large military presence for a country of its size. In 2020, active members of the Armed Forces were almost 50 per 1,000 inhabitants. With a total population of 26 million people, more than one million soldiers in the army is a huge number. Many tanks, aircraft and artillery systems in the North Korean army’s arsenal are of Soviet or Chinese production. North Korea has missiles with a range of up to 13,000 kilometers. Furthermore, it is estimated that by the end of 2022 the country will have enough material for up to 50 nuclear warheads.
Where are North Korea’s weapons still used?
Pyongyang’s missiles don’t just fall on South Korea’s doorstep. Russia is also estimated to use North Korean weapons in the war in Ukraine. The US National Security Council said Thursday (01/04/2024) that several North Korean ballistic missiles were used in Russia’s attacks on Ukraine this week. According to US information, Pyongyang also recently delivered ballistic missile launchers and several ballistic missiles to Moscow.
“It is absolutely clear that China, North Korea and Iran support Russia,” retired Lieutenant General Ben Hodges told news, adding: “Fortunately at this early stage of the analysis it appears that North Korean weapons are of poor quality.” .
(cp/ers)
2024-01-06 19:42:51
#Tension #increases #North #South #Korea