ROK, DPRK trade fires across demarcation line
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E-mail Xinhua, October 10, 2014
South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Friday traded machine gun fires in an area near the military demarcation line, Yonhap News Agency and YTN reported citing the South Korean military.
The DPRK forces fired 14.5-mm machine gun, which has a capacity to penetrate armored vehicles, for 20 minutes from 3:55 p.m. local time near the western civilian-control area in Yeoncheon County in Gyeonggi Province.
It came after a South Korean civic organization, mainly made up of "defectors" from the DPRK, floated anti-DPRK leaflets through balloons into the DPRK's territory at about 2 p.m. from the western region.
In response, the South Korean military fired some 40 rounds of 12.7-mm K-6 machine gun from 5:40 p.m. after a warning broadcasting at 5:30 p.m. No damage has been reported yet for the South Korean side.
The DPRK fired back again in the air above the South Korean side at 5:50 p.m. There was no aimed shot between the two sides.
The DPRK launched live ammunitions toward the balloons carrying the anti-DPRK propaganda leaflets that were crossing the inter- Korean border into the DPRK territory.
Some ammunition fell in the civilian area in Yeoncheon. People in the county were evacuated to a nearby shelter.
It was the first time in some four years that the DPRK fired shots at the South Korean territory. In November 2010, the DPRK shelled the Yeonpyeong Island, one of the five border islands near the western maritime border, killing two civilians and two marines.
The DPRK warned Thursday that it "will not stand by and remain on-lookers," describing the leaflets dispersion as "a psychological warfare against the DPRK," and "an intentional and premeditated provocation."
Pyongyang repeatedly called for the stop of the leaflets spreading, accusing Seoul of supporting and acquiescing to the leaflets distribution.
South Korea has denied the DPRK's allegation, saying it was groundless to claim that the leaflets scattering was connected with the authorities.
The South Korean civic organization flied about 200,000 leaflets, which reportedly denounce the DPRK regime and top leader Kim Jong Un, via 10 large balloons despite the South Korean government's call for self-restraint.
The gunfire trading was expected to cast a cloud over thawing relations between the two Koreas.
On Oct. 4, the DPRK and South Korea agreed to hold a second round of senior-level dialogue between late October and early November during the sudden visit of three high-ranking DPRK officials to South Korea's Incheon.
On Oct. 7, naval ships of the two Koreas exchanged fires near the disputed western sea border.
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