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| North and South Korea Trade Fire Across Border, Seoul Says | North and South Korea Trade Fire Across Border, Seoul Says |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| SEOUL, South Korea — North and South Korea exchanged rocket and artillery fire across their tense border on Thursday in their first major armed clash in five years, the South’s Defense Ministry said. | |
| No casualties or damage were immediately reported, while both sides warned of more clashes in the coming days. | |
| South Korean military radar detected what appeared to be a North Korean rocket landing in Yeoncheon County, near the border north of Seoul, at 3:52 p.m. Thursday, the Defense Ministry said in a brief statement. | |
| Twenty minutes later, the North launched another attack, said Col. Jeon Ha-gyu, a South Korean military spokesman. The South Korean news agency Yonhap quoted unnamed military sources as saying that the second attack involved several rounds from a 76.2-millimeter direct-fire weapon. | |
| South Korea responded by firing “dozens” of shells from a 155-millimeter artillery unit, targeting the rocket’s launching point in the North, the ministry said. | South Korea responded by firing “dozens” of shells from a 155-millimeter artillery unit, targeting the rocket’s launching point in the North, the ministry said. |
| “Our military raised its vigilance to the highest level and is closely watching the movement of the North Korean military, ready to respond strongly and decisively to any further provocations from the North,” Colonel Jeon said. | |
| About 220 people from two villages in Yeoncheon were evacuated into underground shelters, said Hong Seong-beom, a county official. Mr. Hong said there were no immediate reports of damage. Some residents of other front-line villages near Yeoncheon were also evacuated as a precaution, military officials said. | About 220 people from two villages in Yeoncheon were evacuated into underground shelters, said Hong Seong-beom, a county official. Mr. Hong said there were no immediate reports of damage. Some residents of other front-line villages near Yeoncheon were also evacuated as a precaution, military officials said. |
| The North’s attacks followed repeated threats to attack the loudspeakers that South Korea had turned on along the border last week to broadcast propaganda. | |
| In a radio message sent to the South about an hour after the attacks, the North’s military, known as the People’s Army, warned that if Seoul did not turn off and dismantle its loudspeakers within 48 hours, it would “embark upon military actions,” the South Korean Defense Ministry said. | |
| President Park Geun-hye convened an emergency meeting of the South’s National Security Council on Thursday and ordered the military to “deal resolutely with any North Korean provocations,” said her spokesman, Min Kyung-wook. | President Park Geun-hye convened an emergency meeting of the South’s National Security Council on Thursday and ordered the military to “deal resolutely with any North Korean provocations,” said her spokesman, Min Kyung-wook. |
| The exchange of fire was the first serious armed clash between the countries since North Korea launched an artillery attack on a South Korean border island in 2010, killing two marines and two civilians. At the time, South Korea retaliated by pounding gun positions in the North. | |
| In recent years, the two sides have exchanged minor fire, mostly harmless warning shots, across their border. In May of last year, a North Korean patrol boat fired two rounds of artillery, which fell 490 feet from a South Korean Navy ship in waters near a disputed western sea border. The South’s ship responded by firing several rounds of its own. | |
| Tensions have been on the rise along the countries’ heavily armed 155-mile border since Aug. 4, when two South Korean border guards were seriously wounded by land mines that the South said were planted by the North. North Korea has denied planting the mines. | Tensions have been on the rise along the countries’ heavily armed 155-mile border since Aug. 4, when two South Korean border guards were seriously wounded by land mines that the South said were planted by the North. North Korea has denied planting the mines. |
| In retaliation, South Korea last week began using loudspeakers along the border to broadcast propaganda messages into North Korea, a tactic dating from the Cold War that had not been used in 11 years. The North turned on propaganda loudspeakers of its own, and it threatened to attack South Korea’s. | In retaliation, South Korea last week began using loudspeakers along the border to broadcast propaganda messages into North Korea, a tactic dating from the Cold War that had not been used in 11 years. The North turned on propaganda loudspeakers of its own, and it threatened to attack South Korea’s. |
| Yeoncheon is one of the areas from where the South had begun broadcasting propaganda. The South Korean military said none of its loudspeaker batteries were struck by the rocket. | Yeoncheon is one of the areas from where the South had begun broadcasting propaganda. The South Korean military said none of its loudspeaker batteries were struck by the rocket. |
| “The fact that the North only launched one rocket without hitting any South Korean loudspeaker indicates that the North meant it as a warning,” said Koh Yu-hwan, a North Korea expert at Dongguk University in Seoul. | “The fact that the North only launched one rocket without hitting any South Korean loudspeaker indicates that the North meant it as a warning,” said Koh Yu-hwan, a North Korea expert at Dongguk University in Seoul. |
| Mr. Koh said that it would be unlikely for the North to escalate the exchange of fire into a major skirmish, given the large-scale joint military exercise — called Ulchi-Freedom Guardian — that the United States and South Korea kicked off this week. | Mr. Koh said that it would be unlikely for the North to escalate the exchange of fire into a major skirmish, given the large-scale joint military exercise — called Ulchi-Freedom Guardian — that the United States and South Korea kicked off this week. |
| But Cheong Seong-chang, a senior analyst at the Sejong Institute in South Korea, said that the situation could deteriorate if the two sides persisted in “their confrontational posture in which one side’s show of strength is matched by the other side’s tough stance.” | But Cheong Seong-chang, a senior analyst at the Sejong Institute in South Korea, said that the situation could deteriorate if the two sides persisted in “their confrontational posture in which one side’s show of strength is matched by the other side’s tough stance.” |
| Last October, North Korean soldiers fired machine guns at large balloons released from Yeoncheon by anti-North activists, most of them defectors. Such balloons have frequently sailed across the border carrying leaflets that criticize the North’s government and often depict its leader, Kim Jong-un, as a murderous dictator. | Last October, North Korean soldiers fired machine guns at large balloons released from Yeoncheon by anti-North activists, most of them defectors. Such balloons have frequently sailed across the border carrying leaflets that criticize the North’s government and often depict its leader, Kim Jong-un, as a murderous dictator. |
| Mr. Kim’s totalitarian government, which strives to isolate its people from the outside world, has reacted angrily to the leaflets and loudspeaker broadcasts, calling them the “most undisguised acts of psychological warfare.” The North has also countered with propaganda of its own. Last week, state-run television showed North Korean soldiers shooting at the image of Ms. Park with pistols and rifles. | Mr. Kim’s totalitarian government, which strives to isolate its people from the outside world, has reacted angrily to the leaflets and loudspeaker broadcasts, calling them the “most undisguised acts of psychological warfare.” The North has also countered with propaganda of its own. Last week, state-run television showed North Korean soldiers shooting at the image of Ms. Park with pistols and rifles. |
| South Korea has said it would target “the origins of attack” if its loudspeakers were hit. On Saturday, Ms. Park warned that the North’s military provocations and threats would “lead only to isolation and destruction.” | South Korea has said it would target “the origins of attack” if its loudspeakers were hit. On Saturday, Ms. Park warned that the North’s military provocations and threats would “lead only to isolation and destruction.” |
| The two Koreas are technically at war, the 1950-53 Korean War having ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. | The two Koreas are technically at war, the 1950-53 Korean War having ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. |