North Korea Violates September 19 Agreement Again with East and West Sea Shelling in the Afternoon... Nearby Residents 'Tense' (Comprehensive)

Threatening Dawn Flights and SRBM Launch Followed by Continuous Shelling
President Yoon: "Violation of the September 19 Inter-Korean Military Agreement"
Village Broadcasts on Yeonpyeong Island... Coast Guard Orders Fishing Boat Evacuations

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Young-won] It has been confirmed that North Korea conducted artillery fire into the maritime buffer zones of the East and West Seas again in the afternoon following the early morning on the 14th. With two rounds of artillery fire in one day following consecutive military provocations, tensions are rising among residents in the border areas of Gangwon’s East Coast and Yeonpyeongdo.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced that from around 5 p.m. on the same day, about 80 artillery rounds were fired from the Jangjeon area in Gangwon Province toward the East Sea, and from around 5:20 p.m., about 200 artillery shots were heard and water columns observed at sea from the Haeju Bay area in the West Sea to the Jangsan Cape area, and measures are being taken.

The impact points are in the northern maritime buffer zone designated by the September 19 Military Agreement along the Northern Limit Line (NLL). The military has confirmed that no shells landed within territorial waters.

The military issued multiple warning communications demanding an immediate halt to the provocations, stating that North Korea’s artillery fire violates the September 19 Military Agreement.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff stated, "Artillery fire within the maritime buffer zones of the East and West Seas is a clear violation of the September 19 Military Agreement," and added, "We strongly warn that North Korea’s continuous provocations undermine peace and stability not only on the Korean Peninsula but also in the international community, and we strongly urge an immediate cessation."

The military is closely monitoring related developments in close cooperation with the United States and is strengthening readiness to prepare for any possible situation.

Earlier on the same day, North Korea also conducted artillery fire within the northern maritime buffer zones of the East and West Seas along the NLL. From around 1:20 a.m. to 1:25 a.m., about 130 rounds were fired from the Majang-dong area in Hwanghae Province toward the West Sea, and from around 2:57 a.m. to 3:07 a.m., about 40 rounds were fired from the Gu-eup-ri area in Gangwon Province toward the East Sea.

Additionally, at around 1:49 a.m., North Korea launched one short-range ballistic missile (SRBM) from the Sunan area in Pyongyang toward the East Sea. Japan’s Ministry of Defense detected and analyzed that the missile’s flight distance is estimated to be about 650 km with a peak altitude of 50 km.

Previously, from around 10:30 p.m. the previous day to 12:20 a.m. on the same day, about 10 North Korean military aircraft flew below the Tactical Air Line (TAL) set by South Korea over North Korean airspace in preparation for emergencies, conducting threatening flights. The North Korean military aircraft approached up to 5 km north of the no-fly zone (25 km north of the Military Demarcation Line) in the western inland area south of the TAL, and up to 7 km north of the no-fly zone (47 km north of the Military Demarcation Line) in the eastern inland area.

President Yoon Suk-yeol, during a door-stepping (brief Q&A on the way to work) on the same day, stated regarding North Korea’s artillery fire, "It is a violation of the South-North September 19 Military Agreement," emphasizing a thorough readiness posture against North Korea’s indiscriminate provocations.

As North Korea’s provocations continued from early morning to afternoon, residents in the border areas of Gangwon’s East Coast and the northern West Sea’s Yeonpyeongdo are also on high alert. The Yeonpyeong-myeon Office broadcast village announcements at around 6:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. upon the military authorities’ request. The office advised, "Currently, artillery fire can be heard due to North Korea’s maritime firing. Residents are asked not to be alarmed and to stay at home."

The Coast Guard, having received the situation from military authorities, evacuated about 130 fishing vessels operating near Yeonpyeongdo, Baengnyeongdo, and So and Daecheongdo in the afternoon of the same day.

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