hankyoreh

By Kwon Hyuk-chul, Staff Writer

Amid heightening military tensions between North Korea and South Korea following the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island, the Joint Chiefs of Staff announced Sunday that they plans to hold maritime firing exercises between Dec. 6 and 12 at a total of 29 locations, including the waters near Daecheong Island in the five West Sea islands as well as the East and South Seas. Observers have expressed concern that the simultaneously occurring exercises by South Korea may lead to another military clash with North Korea.

The sites for the exercises as planned by the Joint Chiefs of Staff include 16 locations in the West Sea, including the waters southwest of Daecheong Island and the Gyeongnyeolbi Archipelago, as well as seven locations in the East Sea and six in the South Sea. The areas around Yeonpyeong and Baengnyeong Islands were not included among the locations for the exercises. Military authorities plan to fix a time for resuming firing exercises at Yeonpyeong Island that takes into account resident safety issues and weather conditions.

North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported on Sunday that the situation on the Korean Peninsula was “racing faster and faster toward an extreme, out-of-control situation.”

“If full-scale war erupts between North and South, this will have a grave impact not only on the Choson (Korean) Peninsula but also on peace and security in the region,” the report continued.

This marks the first time since the Nov. 23 attack on Yeonpyeong Island that North Korea has used the term “full-scale war.” Analysts say it is likely intended to deter South Korea from additional military actions by reminding it of the possibility of all-out warfare.

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