N.K. leader inspects border military unit, orders firing drills
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has inspected a front-line military unit on an island just north of the western sea border with South Korea and ordered firing drills, Pyongyang's official news agency said Monday.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has inspected a front-line military unit on an island just north of the western sea border with South Korea and ordered firing drills, Pyongyang's official news agency said Monday, Yonhap reports.
South Korea expressed regret over the artillery fire from the border islet of Changrin, saying that it represents a violation of a military agreement between the two Koreas to avoid tension-heightening activity along their border.
The islet lies just north of the Northern Limit Line (NLL), a de facto maritime border with South Korea, which was the site of bloody naval skirmishes between the two Koreas in the past.
The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said that Kim ordered soldiers "to set up a well-knit system" to ensure "full readiness for carrying out a combat mission any moment." He also "indicated the target for Gun 2 of the coastal artillery company on combat duty and gave an order to fire."
KCNA said the artillery company "fully showed their gun firing skills they cultivated in their day-to-day training to delight" the leader. However, it did not provide more details such as the type of the artillery and how many rounds were fired in which direction.
South Korea protested the firing drills as a violation of a military agreement the two Koreas signed in September last year to avoid activities that increase tensions near the border.
Source: Kazinform News Agency
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