[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] North Korea is Currently Militarizing the NLL

Amid ongoing 'territorial disputes' over Hambakdo, an uninhabited island near the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the West Sea, North Korean military facilities can be seen on Hambakdo as viewed from Maldo-ri, Seodo-myeon, Ganghwa-gun, Incheon, on the morning of the 24th. The Ministry of National Defense recently confirmed on-site that Hambakdo is located about 700 meters north of the West Sea Northern Limit Line (NLL) and is an island under North Korean jurisdiction. Photo by Joint Press Corps

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] It has been confirmed that North Korea is deploying multiple rocket launchers on islands north of the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the West Sea. Except for three islands?Harin-do, Ong-do, and Seok-do?most of the islands are undergoing militarization aimed at Baengnyeong-do and Yeonpyeong-do.

On the 23rd, military authorities stated regarding the detection of signs that North Korea deployed multiple rocket launchers on Changrin-do, north of the West Sea NLL, "Our military is closely cooperating with South Korea-U.S. intelligence agencies to track and monitor North Korea’s military movements."

In fact, the military is known to have partially detected North Korean troop movements on Changrin-do and is analyzing related circumstances. Due to Changrin-do’s location, the deployment of 122mm multiple rocket launchers targeting Baengnyeong-do and Yeonpyeong-do is being considered. Changrin-do is located within the maritime hostile act prohibition zone where coastal artillery firing is banned under the September 19 Inter-Korean Military Agreement.

Changrin-do is also the place where North Korean state media revealed that Kim Jong-un, Chairman of the State Affairs Commission, visited the defense unit in November 2019 and ordered coastal artillery firing. This was just before the 9th anniversary (on the 23rd) of the Yeonpyeong-do shelling provocation.

Additionally, since 2015, when inter-Korean military tensions were intense, North Korea began militarizing uninhabited islands near Yeonpyeong-do such as Gal-do, Ari-do, and Hambak-do. The Defense Intelligence Agency analyzed that artillery was deployed on Gal-do, and radars were installed on Ari-do and Hambak-do to operate as surveillance bases. Within a 60 km radius from Hambak-do are Incheon International Airport, Ganghwa-do, and Incheon Port. Essentially, the entire sea area in front of Incheon falls within the radar detection range of North Korean forces on Hambak-do.

North Korea started constructing the military facilities on Hambak-do from May 2017, shortly after the inauguration of the Moon Jae-in administration. Former Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo stated at a National Defense Committee plenary meeting, "Construction began in May 2017," and "It is understood that one North Korean military platoon was deployed."

In particular, Gal-do is about 4.5 km away from Yeonpyeong-do, bordering the West Sea NLL. It serves as the closest attack base targeting the northwestern islands. The military has identified underground bunker-type structures and about ten coastal artillery guns deployed on Gal-do.

Especially on the 16th, Kim Yo-jong, Deputy Director of the North Korean Workers' Party, criticized South Korea citing the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises and warned that depending on South Korea’s future "attitude," the September 19 military agreement could be annulled. The military authorities are reportedly closely monitoring related developments.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.