SEOUL, The South Korean military said Thursday it remains firmly committed to the defense of the de facto maritime border with North Korea, after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un refused to recognize the border and vowed to defend its own boundary with force.
Col. Lee Sung-jun, the spokesperson of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), made the remark after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un rejected the Northern Limit Line (NLL) as a “ghost” line and called for using force against South Korean vessels violating its waters.
“The NLL remains our military’s unchanged maritime border. We will firmly respond to any provocations while maintaining firm readiness,” Lee said in a regular press briefing.
During a visit to attend the test-fire of a new cruise missile on Wednesday, the North’s leader accused the South of sending warships and patrol ships to defend the NLL, according to Pyongyang’s state media on Thursday.
North Korea does not recognize the NLL in the Yellow Sea and has long demanded that the line be moved far
ther south as it was unilaterally drawn by the U.S.-led U.N. Command after the 1950-53 Korean War.
Analysts said the North’s new anti-ship missile, named Padasuri-6 (translated as sea eagle), appears to be the North Korean variant of Russia’s Kh-35 Uran cruise missiles, which could pose a threat to South Korean warships.
The North said the missile hit a target after flying over waters in the East Sea for about 23 minutes.
Lee said the North’s anti-ship missile was previously unveiled during military parades, but noted further analysis is needed to figure out its performance.
“Our military is fully ready to detect and intercept North Korea’s anti-ship missiles,” he said.
South Korean naval destroyers and patrol ships are equipped with anti-ship guided missiles, including SM-2 surface-to-air missiles, according to Navy officials.
It marked North Korea’s fifth cruise missile launch this year. The provocation came two days before the 82nd birthday of late former leader Kim Jong-il, the father of the current
leader Kim Jong-un.
Lee said the military has not yet detected signs that North Korea was preparing for military parades ahead of the major holiday.
Source: Yonhap News Agency