Seoul: South Korea’s military Friday conducted a live-fire drill on islands near the disputed inter-Korean maritime border despite North Korea’s condemnation of the exercise.
The Northwest Islands Defence Command, Seoul’s military command defending the five West Sea border islands, carried out the drill for about two hours from 3 p.m., Xinhua reported citing Seoul’s defence ministry. It mobilised K-9 self-propelled howitzers with a range of 40 km and multiple rocket launchers ranging from 23 to 36 km. These equipment were dispatched from Yeonpyeong and Baengnyeong islands.
The two islands have been a hotspot on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea fired shells at Yeongpyong Nov 23, 2010, killing four South Koreans, including two marines. In March 2010, a South Korean navy corvette, Cheonan, sank in waters near the Baengnyeonge island, killing 46 soldiers.
The live-fire drill also involved the firing of a Spike missile capable of precisely striking North Korea’s coastal artillery positions near the border. It marked the second time that the South Korean military fired the missile, which was deployed in May last year, during the drill near the western sea border.
Earlier in the day, North Korea’s Southwest Frontline Military Command issued a statement condemning the live-fire drill. It said South Korea “should never forget the lesson from the bitter defeat” in the shelling of Yeongpyeong.
In response, Seoul’s defence ministry spokesman told a press briefing that Friday’s live-fire drill had nothing to do with the fourth anniversary of the Yeonpyeong shelling that falls Sunday, saying it was a regularly-held live-fire drill conducted by the command in charge of defending the northwest islands. (IANS)
