Seoul rebuffs Pyongyang's claim of West Sea provocation

December 17, 2009

The South Korean military Thursday dismissed North Korea's claim that it engaged in provocative military exercises in the West Sea.

Pyongyang claimed in a report of its official Korean Central News Agency that the South Korean army committed an "unpardonable military act" in waters of the West Sea on Dec. 17.

A spokesman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said the training was conducted in "our waters" and not the area near the northern limited line as claimed by North Korea, adding the incident referred to was routine training by an artillery unit stationed in South Korea's Yeonpyeong Island.

North Korea's claim stated that "at about 14:20 that day, they staged an underwater explosion exercise three times close to the waters of the north side southeast of Kuwol Hill, Kangryong County, South Hwanghae Province." And added that "the exercise conducted under the very nose of the north is a threat to it and an unpardonable criminal act against it."

-- Yonhap News Agency

North Korea threatens South Korea over naval drills

December 17, 2009

North Korea threatened retaliation against South Korea over what it claimed were naval drills around their disputed sea border, accusing Seoul on Thursday of attempting to escalate tension.

The North's Korean Central News Agency cited an unidentified source as saying that the South Korean military staged underwater explosive exercises around the border — the scene of a naval clash last month that left one North Korean sailor dead and three others wounded.

The drills represent "a threat and an unpardonable act of crime against us," KCNA said.

"We cannot but view this as a premeditated provocation aimed at raising tension in the militarily sensitive waters," it said. "We will deal a merciless retaliatory blow if the South Korean warlike forces keep staging military provocations" near the border.

A South Korean Defense Ministry official could not immediately confirm whether the military conducted such drills but said he was checking.

North Korea has often made such accusations and the South has rejected them. Pyongyang, known for its use of fiery rhetoric, also regularly threatens South Korea with destruction.

The communist North does not recognize the sea boundary, drawn by the United Nations at the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, and has long claimed that it should be redrawn farther south. The dispute led to deadly skirmishes in 1999, 2002 and last month.

Relations between the two Koreas soured badly after conservative South Korean President Lee Myung-bak took office early last year and halted unconditional aid to the North in line with his pledge to get tough on the communist neighbor over its nuclear weapons development.

The two sides are still technically at war as the Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.

North and South Korean Naval Vessels Clash off the West Coast

On 10 November, shortly after 11: 30 AM (KST), a North Korean naval vessel and a South Korean naval vessel exchanged gun-fire 1.6 miles south of the disputed Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the West Sea (Yellow Sea).  According to the South Korean media reports, the incident started by the South Korean naval vessel firing warning shots at the North's vessel for crossing the NLL after the North Korean vessel ignored numerous South Korean warnings for it to return north of the NLL.  The North Korean vessel apparently responded to the warning shots by firing aimed shots directly at a South Korean vessel, to which the South Korean Navy responded in kind.

This clash- deemed accidental by South Korea's prime minister, whch lasted roughly a minute and ended when the North's vessel withdrew north of the NLL, was the first time the two navies exchanged gun-fire in seven years.

South Korean Military details the Clash

• A South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff official specified that at 11:27 AM (KST), a North Korean patrol ship crossed the NLL in an area east of the Taech'o'ng Island in the West Sea.  South Korea issued multiple warning communications followed by warning shots. The Northern ship then fired "directly aimed shots" at a South Korean vessel, which returned fire and undertook "evicting" the North's vessel. (KBS-1 TV) 

• Officials added that about 15 of 50 rounds fired by the North landed on the South Korean boat, which retaliated with roughly 200 rounds. The ships were a little over three kilometers apart when they exchanged fire. (Yonhap)

South Korean Government Calls For Calm Response 

• President Lee Myung-bak convened an emergency meeting of security-related ministers after learning of the clash and "instructed the military to react decisively, yet calmly to make sure the situation does not further deteriorate," a senior secretary's statement said. (Yonhap)

• The prime minister said that "it was an accidental clash, so we ask the people to have confidence in our military and government and carry on with their daily lives as usual." (Yonhap) 

• The country will continue exchanges with North Korea as normal, keeping its border open to workers traveling to the North and proceeding with planned humanitarian aid, officials said. (Yonhap)

• "With regard to this incident, there are no restrictive measures, such as minimizing the number of visitors to the North and other artificial control measures, under consideration," a Unification Ministry spokesman said. (Yonhap)

• The Unification Ministry did, however, issue guidelines for those traveling North to exercise special caution and some trips, such as that of UNESCO, were voluntarily canceled or postponed. 

North Korea Reports on Clash, Seeks Apology 

A Korean People's Army Supreme Command communique carried the same day by central radio reported that a patrol boat had been dispatched in routine guard duty to check an unidentified object in North Korean waters and while the ship was returning after having identified the object, a "group" of South Korean ships "chased" the Northern craft and opened fire.

The communique added that the North's ship delivered a "counter-strike," after which the South Korean vessels withdrew.  Foreign media have pointed out that the communique sought an apology for the incident.  It also went on to call for preventing a recurrence.

South Korean Expert Views Divergent

• Yoo Ho-yeol, a North Korea Professor at Korea University said, “It appears to be a move to raise tension ahead of Obama’s visit to South Korea.  North Koreans believe tension helps them strengthen their bargaining power.” (Yonhap)

• Kim Yong-hyun, Professor of Dongguk University said, “I believe North Korea is trying to show Obama the volatility of the peninsula. North Korea has demanded a peace pact be signed with the US to replace the truce agreement (which ended the 1950-53 war)." (Agence France-Presse)

• Ryu Gil-jae, professor at the University of North Korean Studies, disagreed, saying the incident appeared aimed at testing the South Korean government. “North Korea would have test-fired missiles if it had wanted to wex the US.  The Yellow Sea clash is more of a message to the South that it should be taken more seriously.” (Yonhap)

• Kang Sung-yoon, a North Korea specialist at Dongguk University, believes the attack serves more than one purpose. (Yonhap)