N.K. continues artillery shootings

North Korea yesterday once again ratcheted up tensions between the two Koreas with another round of artillery cannon shootings near South Korea`s island of Yeonpyeong in the West Sea, military sources said.

The South Korean Navy on Wednesday had fired warning shots to the North when North Korean troops first fired artillery shots near the Northern Limit Line -- the de facto inter-Korean naval border.

The shootings occurred twice between 8:05 a.m.-8.15 a.m., with the North firing into its own waters.

As was the case of Tuesday`s shots, the North did not cross the NLL itself. Neither did its artillery shells violate the border, which was the reason the South Korean Navy did not respond, officials said.

"We will be on alert and will take counteraction if further provoked," the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.



The shots came after the North on Monday unilaterally declared "no-sail" zones in the waters near Baeknyeong and Daecheong islands. Yeongpyeong Island was not included in the zone.

The no-sail areas will prevail until March, the North said.

On Tuesday, Pyongyang shot over 200 rounds on two different occasions near the NLL.

The North refuses to acknowledge the border, as it was unilaterally drawn by the United Nations after the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice.

In a contradictory move, on the same day of the first round of shootings, the North conveyed to the United Nations Command its wishes to resume the joint excavation work with the United States for uncovering the remains of American soldiers killed in the Korean War.

The work had helped uncover some 200 bodies since 1996, but was halted in 2005 for security reasons cited by Washington.

The regular North Korean policy featuring the combination of reconciliatory and provocative gestures triggered speculation that Pyongyang is again seeking increased leverage for reaping both economic and diplomatic benefits.

"We see this as typical North Korean behavior. It usually alternates between saber rattling and reconciliatory moves before it makes a big diplomatic decision," said Won Tae-jae, the Defense Ministry spokesman.

He added that the North also may be seeking to strengthen its military morale after it was defeated by the South Korean Navy last year in a marine skirmish.

On the diplomatic front, momentum appears to be building for a revival of the six-nation talks aimed at ending the North`s nuclear weapons programs.

Although the North has yet to actually return, diplomatic sources here said it was time to restart the talks. They also said sizeable incentives would be offered for denuclearization.

These negotiations, however, have been stalled since December 2008. Pyongyang declared "permanent" departure from the negotiations in April last year following a United Nations Security Council denouncement of its rocket launch.

South Korea and United States yesterday discussed the North`s military activities including the recent provocative behavior during a regular Security Policy Initiative meeting.

The United States reportedly expressed strong regret over the shootings.

The two allies reaffirmed that they would remain highly vigilant in preparations for emergencies.

President Lee Myung-bak was briefed on the North`s shootings while he was on his overseas trip to India and Switzerland.

Cheong Wa Dae and related ministries held emergency security meetings.

(jemmie@heraldm.com)









By Kim Ji-hyun