hankyoreh

North Korea has completed steps for building artillery strongholds on uninhabited Gal Island, located in West (Yellow) Sea just 4.5km north of South Korea’s Yeonpyeong Island.

“Since last March, North Korea has been observed constructing bunker-shaped roofed encampments on evacuated sites of Gal Island,” said a senior military officer. “The strongholds, five in total, are seen to be in the last stage of construction.” The officer expressed concerned that the encampments could be used for the deployment of 122mm rocket launchers or cannons.

The 122mm rocket launchers, based on the former Soviet Union’s BM-21 multiple launch rocket system, have a firing range of 20km. North Korea is taking efforts to mobilize the 122mm rocket launchers that were deployed to the stronghold in Gaemo Village on the Ongjin Peninsula in South Hwanghae Province when it shelled Yeonpyeong Island in 2010.

North Korea is already in a state of preparation with its cannons on Jangjae, an island 7km north of Yeonpyeong Island. More concerning, is the extreme proximity of Gal Island. If the 122mm rocket launchers were deployed, Yeonpyeong Island and the surrounding waters would face a serious threat. “Not only Yeonpyeong Island, but our naval vessels doing patrol operations in the waters around the Northern Limit Line (NLL) would face a serious threat,” the military said.

In military response, the Marine Corps stationed on Yeonpyeong Island are arming 155mm K-9 self-propelled canons and spike missiles. The K-9 self-propelled cannons have a firing range of 40km. Spike missiles were imported from Israel in 2013 in order to North Korea tunnel strongholds.

By Park Byong-su, senior staff writer

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