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Paradoxical North says South crosses sea border

Published: 15 Oct. 2009, 21:37

In an announcement that perplexed officials in Seoul, North Korea yesterday accused South Korea of frequently violating a western sea border and warned that it would take military action if such moves continued.

Through a dispatch carried on the state-run Korean Central News Agency, the North Korean Navy claimed that the South breached the Northern Limit Line, the inter-Korean maritime border on the west coast, 10 times last Monday alone. The Navy called these actions “premeditated moves to deliberately escalate tension in the waters .?.?. and deteriorate North-South relations once again.”

“The reckless military provocations by warships of the South Korean navy have created such a serious situation that a naval clash may break out between the two sides in these waters,” the report said. “It is clear to everyone what consequences the third skirmish in the West Sea of Korea will entail. The warmongers of the South Korean military .?.?. should bear in mind that warnings are bound to be followed by action.”

Military officials here said the South Korean Navy has never crossed the NLL and called the North Korean accusation “nonsense.”

“Be it east or west, our military has never violated the sea border,” a military official said, requesting anonymity. “The North has long been trying to nullify the NLL. And this current claim is just the latest attempt to build their case.”

The North Korean statement came on the heels of the inter-Korean government-level meeting Wednesday on flood prevention along the Imjin River. North Korea took a rare conciliatory step and expressed its regrets over causing six South Korean deaths after its unannounced release of dam water, and South Korea accepted the North’s comments as an apology. Another round of inter-Korean talks, involving Red Cross officials, is scheduled for today.

On Wednesday, a senior South Korean government official told foreign correspondents in Seoul that Seoul would consider taking steps toward staging a high-level inter-Korean dialogue after the Red Cross meeting.

The North on Monday fired five short-range missiles. The South charged that the North had violated United Nations Security Council resolutions banning ballistic missile-related activities.

One diplomatic source, asking for anonymity, said the North is taking its own “two-track” approach of presenting both conciliatory and hostile sides.

“Rather than only pushing for dialogue, the North may want to show that it can always return to being belligerent,” the source offered. “Pyongyang may also want to prove that its expression of willingness to engage in the six-party talks was not a sign of weakness or a concession.”

There have been two fatal naval clashes near Yeonpyeong Island on the west coast. In June 1999, North Korea fired shots toward the South Korean side but ultimately suffered 30 fatalities and lost 10 vessels in 14 minutes. There were no South Korean fatalities but nine were injured. Three years later, six South Korean soldiers were killed in the second skirmish that lasted 25 minutes. In late May this year, just days after its second nuclear test, the North warned that it could not guarantee the safety of South Korean and the U.S. vessels on the west coast.

By Yoo Jee-ho [[email protected]]