|
11 N.K. ships expelled from South's waters since passage ban: minister
SEOUL, June 11 (Yonhap) -- North Korean vessels have been ordered to leave South Korean waters on 20 occasions since the South banned the passage of the North's commercial vessels in late May in retaliation for a deadly attack on a southern warship, Seoul's defense minister said Friday.
The 20 expulsion orders involving 11 North Korean vessels were issued until Thursday after President Lee Myung-bak announced on May 24 a decision to suspend trade with North Korea and ban passage of North Korean ships into South Korean waters, Defense Minister Kim Tae-young said in a parliamentary session.
The South Korean president announced the hard-line measures to punish the North for torpedoing the 1,200-ton warship, the Cheonan, on March 26 after a multinational investigation concluded last month that the North was behind the attack that killed 46 sailors.
"Since the decision to block the passage of North Korean ships, we expelled 11 North Korean ships from our waters 20 times," Kim was quoted by Rep. Hwang Jin-ha of the ruling Grand National Party as saying.
Kim told lawmakers that there was "no major trouble" in turning away the North Korean ships.
Also, Kim said the military set up a total of 11 loudspeakers along the heavily armed border to blare anti-North broadcasts, but reiterated that no decision has been made on when to use them.
"Given the complex situation, we are reviewing the timing of starting anti-North broadcasts using the loudspeakers," Kim was quoted as saying by Hwang.
North Korea, which denies its involvement in the sinking, has threatened to shoot at the loudspeakers if the South starts using them for propaganda broadcasts.
Last week, South Korea officially asked the U.N. Security Council to take action against North Korea for the attack.
During the parliamentary session, Vice Foreign Minister Shin Kak-soo said non-official discussions are underway to try to adopt a resolution at the Security Council.
Despite heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, an inter-Korean industrial complex in the North's border city of Kaesong keeps operating. The South also excluded the Kaesong industrial park from its list of reprisals.
Vice Unification Minister Um Jong-sik said about 550 South Korean personnel are now in Kaesong.
"While North Korea is said to be considering blocking cross-border passage, no specific measure has been taken," Um told lawmakers.
kdh@yna.co.kr
(END)
| 
Home
