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N. Korea demonstrates its guns can threaten S. Korean bases
By Sam Kim
SEOUL, Jan. 27 (Yonhap) -- The artillery guns North Korea fired Wednesday near the inter-Korean western sea border are believed to be capable of reaching South Korean islands that are home to frontline naval and marine bases, defense officials said.
North Korea has deployed a string of guns along its coast on the Yellow Sea, bringing them out them from underground bunkers when it feels compelled to raise tension near the border where the navies of the divided states have clashed three times in the last 11 years.
South Korean defense officials believe the guns the communist neighbor used to fire 30 shells into its waters Wednesday are estimated to have ranges of between 12 to 27 kilometers.
The firing demonstrates that the Baeknyeong, Yeonpyeong and Daecheong islands, where South Korea has stationed thousands of marines and a team of naval boats, is within North Korea's shooting range.
The distance between Baeknyeong and the North's Jangsan cape is 17km, while only 12km separates the westernmost South Korean island and the North Korean island of Wollae.
The North, which declared late last year that the area south of the western sea boundary is part of its "peacetime firing zone," has also test-fired short-range missiles into the Yellow Sea in the past.
The missiles are believed to have ranges of up to 95km. Some are anti-ship missiles that could threaten South Korean boats should a skirmish develop into a full-fledged conflict near the border.
North Korea has yet to fully embrace the sea border also known as the Northern Limit Line. Drawn by a U.S. commander of U.N. forces that fought on the South Korean side in the 1950-53 Korean War, the line has served as a de facto sea boundary between the Koreas, which remain technically at war because the conflict ended in a truce.
Following the firing by North Korea, South Korea responded by shooting vulcan canons into the air, a statement that it would not be intimidated by saber-rattling by the communist neighbor.
Relations between the Koreas appeared to be warming this year after more than a year of recrimination, with North Korea repeatedly signaling that it would seek to improve ties.
But the North has also warned of an armed conflict against the South, accusing Seoul of entertaining hopes for a regime collapse in Pyongyang. Last week, North Korean leader Kim Jong-il was seen for the first time in official media reports inspecting a joint drill of the army, navy and air force.
Tension further rose along the heavily armed border when South Korean Defense Minister Kim Tae-young reiterated his position that he would call for a preemptive strike on the North should the communist country deploy nuclear arms.
The North, which remains under U.N. sanctions for its missile and nuclear testing, is believed to have enough plutonium to create at least six atomic bombs. Pyongyang argues it has been forced to develop "a nuclear deterrent" to defend itself against U.S. aggression.
(END)
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