• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Spokesman for KPA Navy Command on S. Korean Military Authorities' Moves

Korean Central News Agency of DPRK

    Pyongyang, March 14 (KCNA) -- A spokesman for the Navy Command of the Korean People's Army gave the following answer to a question put by KCNA Thursday as regards the south Korean military authorities' disturbing moves to dispatch more armed forces to waters close to the territorial waters of the north side in the West Sea of Korea under the pretext of intercepting Chinese fishing boats with the advent of blue crab picking season: The south Korean authorities recently said that they would forward-deploy warships belonging to the navy and the Maritime Police Office in waters north of the "fishery limit line" under the pretext of intercepting the illegal operation of Chinese fishing boats in the West Sea of Korea with the advent of the season, according to a radio report from south Korea.
    They are also considering staging joint naval exercises of the army and the police by mobilizing at least 10 warships and helicopters to operate in waters off the southern tip of Yongphyong Islet.
    They openly declared that they would dispatch more armed forces to the waters and stage joint naval exercises there although they are called "controversial waters" even by the world people as they are fraught with constant danger of armed clashes. This is, therefore, an outright challenge to the north.
    No one can vouch that these disturbing military developments will not spark off a new West Sea skirmish as the south Korean authorities dared call for defending the "northern limit line."
    This year alone south Korean navy warships intruded into the territorial waters of the north side in the West Sea of Korea more than 40 times. Fortunately, no unpleasant incident occurred there entirely thanks to a high degree of self-restraint and patience on the part of the KPA servicemen who do not want the escalated tensions between the north and the south.
    But there is a limit to their self-restraint and patience.
    The south Korean authorities should stop their rash acts, pondering over what countermeasures will be taken by the north side when they recklessly dispatch warships and helicopters to the controversial waters, a hotbed of fresh military clashes.