N-Korea issues caution artillery is ready to ‘open fire’ on S-Korea
Date
10/15/2024 6:05:19 AM
(MENAFN) In a significant escalation of rhetoric, North Korea has ordered its frontline artillery units to prepare for potential military action against South Korea, following claims that drones from the South have dropped propaganda leaflets over Pyongyang. This warning was issued by the state-run KCNA news agency, highlighting the increasingly strained relations between the two nations.
According to North Korean officials, there have been three incidents this month where South Korean drones allegedly released propaganda materials over the North Korean capital, with two of these occurrences occurring earlier in the week. In the past, North Korea has retaliated to similar provocations by sending balloons containing trash and excrement into South Korea. However, the current situation has prompted a more severe military response, as reported by KCNA.
The North Korean military's General Staff announced a preliminary operation order on October 12, instructing artillery units stationed along the border to be fully prepared for action. This directive reportedly includes placing eight artillery brigades at peak wartime readiness, equipped and armed for immediate engagement.
Estimates indicate that North Korea possesses over 10,000 artillery pieces positioned along its border with the South, with approximately 6,000 of these within striking distance of major South Korean urban areas. A 2020 report from the RAND Corporation, a think tank affiliated with the US military, projected that if conflict were to erupt between the two Koreas, casualties could exceed 205,000 within the first hour, particularly in densely populated cities like Seoul, Incheon, and Gimpo.
In a statement reported by KCNA on Sunday, Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, condemned the South's leaflet distribution, labeling it a "grave politically-motivated provocation" and an infringement upon North Korea's sovereignty. This latest exchange underscores the fragile nature of peace on the Korean Peninsula and raises concerns about the potential for military conflict in the region.
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