Massive military drills carried out in Yeonpyeong

Shim Soo Bin

A few days ago, on December 19th, massive military drills aiming to fully prepare the South Korean army in cases of national emergency were carried out in Yeonpyeong Island amid  North Korea's threat to retaliate , heightening the already-existing tension between the two countries.A South Korean Marine Corps unit fired off K-9 self-propelled guns, 105-millimeter howitzers, Vulcan cannons and 81-millimeter mortars into the southwestern sea off Yeonpyeong Island. The Air Force had F-15L fighter jets at the ready while the Navy deployed an Aegis-class destroyer to deter a potential North Korean provocation.

 On the day of the drill, as a result, the remaining 116 residents of Yeonpyeong (some decided to stay in Incheon) were ordered to evacuate into bomb shelters hours in advance of the drill and were allowed to leave only after the government deemed the situation safe enough, which became two hours after all the militrary drills have ended.

Despite the security threats that the island is facing, its residents are making efforts to remain calm and continue on with their daily lives. One restaurant owner said “I heard about the upcoming drill but I returned to the island to maintain my freezers and fix water pipes frozen due to the cold waves,” adding, “Though I’m worried, I won’t return to Incheon.” Other residents have also decided to stay in Yeonpyeong for similar reasons, hoping that they could continue on with their ways of living.

In the meanwhile, the North Korean government has responded to the drills by dismissing the drills as a "childish play of fire", as quoted from a communique from the North's Korean People's Army Supreme Command. The official news network of North Korea, the KNCA news agency said "The revolutionary arnmed forces of the DPRK did not feel any need to retaliate against every despicable military provocation.", putting emphasis on the assertion that the drills were not worthy enough to invoke military reactions.


The real reason behind this line of action is not certain, raising concerns that additional attacks may be carried out in the near future. It would be reasonable enough to say, nevertheless,  that the Korean peninsula is letting out a small sigh of relief  on the very fact that direct military conflict has not risen as a result of the artillery drills.

North Korean attack on Yeonpyeong: what it means to Korea and the World

Shim Soo Bin



Yeonpyeong Island Information

  

North Korea's sudden artillery attack on "Yeonpyeong Island", an island in the South Korean territory of the yellow sea is becoming a hot issue, raising awareness on the possibility of a war in the Korean peninsula. The attack has killed 2 civilians and numerous soldiers. The aim of this provocation carried out amid continued international pressure on nuclear disarmament is thought as a response to the military training in South Korea. The real effect, however, seems to lie somewhere else.







 Ever since the truce talks of 1950, and the resulting 50 years of 'peace', many people around the world have been forgetful of the fact that the Korean peninsula is in danger of breaking into a war any day, if only North Korea were to start it. The miraculously developed economy of South Korea (and the resulting prosperity) also added on to this phenomenon, as more and more South Koreans begun to question the threat of war. Just a few decades back, even the smallest military action carried out by North Korea would be considered a signal of war. People would run to the grocery store to buy food and water for survival. Currently, on the other hand, many were in the mistaken belief that the threat of war was either falsified or exaggerated.







Bombed area of Yeonpyeong

  The Yeonpyeong Island attack has renewed the view of many pro-North Korean forces, and the country's younger generation, who haven't directly experienced the Korean War. If the Cheonan ship incident (in which 46 sailors were killed) gave a sense of shock, the Yeonpyeong Island is giving us a sense of reality. Awaiting the further actions that the South Korean government is planning to take, I sincerely wish that North Korean government would stop taking provocative measures to catch the attention of other countries. If that was the goal, they have 'succeeded', to be sure, in doing so- but with severe consequences. Such actions will bring about a huge rift between the South and the North, and may even lead to another war, and the dream of peaceful reunification will be broken. For the North, further action means further alienation from the rest of the world and the slow severing of ties with its allies (e.g. China); for the South, it means confusion and fear among the citizens.

P.S. I am welcome to any sharing of thoughts on this issue. I'd love to discuss!! :)