North and South Korea have exchanged warning shots along their disputed western sea boundary, their militaries said, amid heightened animosities over North Korea’s recent barrage of weapons tests.
Analyst Cheong Seong-Chang at the private Sejong Institute in South Korea said North Korea had likely intentionally plotted its ship incursion because it would be “unimaginable” for a North Korean merchant ship to cross the boundary that early in a day without the permission of the North’s military.
“The South Korean military needs to make through preparations to prevent fresh skirmishes from happening on the West Sea and prevent them from leading to the North Korean military launching artillery bombardments” on a South Korean border island, Cheong said.South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the North Korean artillery firings Monday breached a 2018 inter-Korean accord on reducing military animosities and undermines stability on the Korean Peninsula.
North Korea has said its recent weapons tests involving nuclear-capable missiles and artillery shells were a response to joint South Korean-U.S. military drills that it views as an invasion rehearsal. “Pyongyang’s politics of blaming external threats and projecting confidence in military capabilities can motivate greater risk taking,” said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul. “North Korean probing of South Korean perimeter defenses could lead to a serious exchange of fire and unintended escalation.”The South Korean military is currently conducting its annual field exercises, which involve U.S. troops this year. As part of the drills, the South Korean and U.S.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
North, South Korea exchange fire over shared sea borderNorth Korea admitted to firing 10 rocket shells Sunday after South Korea fired warning shots at a North Korean boat.
Read more »
North, South Korea trade fire over violation of maritime borderRival Koreas exchange warning shots along their disputed western sea boundary, their militaries have said, accusing each other of breaching the border amid rising tensions
Read more »
Korea Box Office: ‘Black Adam’ Goes Top With Limp $3.2 Million OpeningMuch anticipated Warner superhero movie, “Black Adam” predictably took top place at the South Korean box office over the weekend. But it did little to arrest the current downturn in what used to be…
Read more »
Highway Robberies Spike Along Mexican Border Area South of TexasA highway that connects one of Mexico’s top metropolitan areas with the Texas border has once again become risky for robberies.
Read more »
Opinion | BTS not seeking a military exemption speaks volumesNot seeking a special exemption from mandatory service probably saved the globally beloved performers from having public opinion turn against them at home in South Korea.
Read more »