North, South Korea Exchange Gunfire

Naval forces of North and South Korea fired artillery shells in waters belonging to the other nation on Monday.

The government of Kim Jong-un announced they would be conducting live fire exercises near border regions. Over 500 artillery pieces were fired into the Yellow Sea. According to South Korean officials, about 100 of these shells landed in waters belonging to the south. After this happened, the south responded by firing artillery off the coast of North Korea. Residents of five islands near the area were forced to leave their homes.

Later, a military drone crashed on the disputed island of Baengnyeong. This land is claimed by both
North and South Korea. Authorities are attempting to determine if the drone was operated by forces from the north. That country has recently displayed several unmanned aircraft during military parades.

If the unmanned aircraft did come the north, officials in Seoul want to know the mission the craft was on when it went down.

This skirmish is unfolding just as a 5.1 magnitude earthquake occurred in the north. Some geologists believe this may be caused by the test of a nuclear weapon. This quake was the third strongest tremor ever recorded on the peninsula since records began in 1978.

Just days ago, North Korea said they were about to test a “new type” of atomic bomb. However, this seismic event was centered under water, 60 miles west of the country. This would suggest the event was not tied to a nuclear tests, but investigation is continuing.

After officials in Seoul offered humanitarian assistance to their northern neighbor, they were greeted by insults. The official newspaper in the north called South Korean president Park Geun-hye an “eccentric old spinster” and “a frog in a well.” They claimed her offer was “full of deception” and “filth.” South Korea responded, describing the comments as “expressions even street ruffians would refrain from.”

The Korean War began in 1950, when troops from the north marched into the south. The skirmish quickly turned into a proxy war between the United States and China.

The conflict between the north and south never ended with a peace treaty. A cease-fire, signed in 1953, has been the only agreement keeping the peace between the nations. South Korea recently adopted a policy calling for immediate retaliation against the north in the event of an attack.

These newest skirmishes could be sparks in the tinderbox of Korean relations.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/south-korea-hit-by-earthquake-days-after-north-korea-

threatens-to-conduct-new-nuclear-test-9227572.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/31/world/asia/north-korea-promises-new-form-of-nuclear-test.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/south-and-north-korea-exchange-fire-as-tensions-rise-

with-us-marines-exercise-9225242.html

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Security-Watch/terrorism-security/2014/0401/North-Korean-drone-

recovered-in-South-after-exchange-of-artillery-fire

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/31/world/asia/north-korea-live-fire-exchange

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