By Kang Seung-woo, Jun Ji-hye
North Korea is continuing its puzzling series of peace gestures and provocative acts.
On Monday, the North fired more than 100 rockets and artillery shells into the East Sea from close to the inter-Korean border.
At the same time, Pyongyang agreed to Seoul's revised proposal to meet Thursday at Panmunjom to discuss details of the North's participation in the Asian Games in Incheon.
"From 11:43 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Pyongyang fired about 100 shells and rockets toward the northeast from a site hundreds of meters north of the Northern Limit Line (NLL) at the demilitarized zone (DMZ) in Goseong, Gangwon Province," the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.
The DMZ is a four kilometer-wide buffer zone separating the two Koreas.
"The projectiles fell into the East Sea, one to eight kilometers north of the NLL," a JCS official added.
Given that the range of shells was presumed to be three to 50 kilometers, officials analyzed that the rockets were fired from 122 and 240 millimeter multiple-rocket launchers, and the shells from a 76.2 millimeter coastal gun.
The official added that nothing fell into South Korean waters.
"The South Korean military is strengthening its surveillance and maintaining a readiness posture in case of additional launches," the official said.
Pyongyang test-fired two ballistic missiles, believed to be Scuds, into the East Sea Sunday from just north of Gaeseong, about 20 kilometers from the inter-Korean border.
On Wednesday, the North fired two other ballistic missiles, also presumed to be Scuds, into the East Sea from a base in Hwanghae Province.
This marked the first time in nearly two decades that Pyongyang has fired missiles from an inland area, and not a coastal one. Hwanghae Province is near the West Sea, meaning the missiles crossed over the North's territory.
Military officials and experts believe the North appears to be staging an "armed protest" to show it can fire missiles at anytime from anywhere, amid worsening relations with China.
Meanwhile, following Pyongyang's call for talks with Seoul to be held Tuesday, and the South's counterproposal of Friday, the two sides agreed to meet Thursday ― showing an unusual willingness to negotiate.
On May 23, the North announced it would send 150 athletes and officials to compete in 14 events at the Asian Games. Last week it added that it would also send about 100 cheerleaders.
The North is also expected to propose to the South that they should field a unified team.
Follow Kang Seung-woo on Twitter @iamkangseungwoo
Follow Jun Ji-hye on Twitter @TheKopJihye
North Korea is continuing its puzzling series of peace gestures and provocative acts.
On Monday, the North fired more than 100 rockets and artillery shells into the East Sea from close to the inter-Korean border.
At the same time, Pyongyang agreed to Seoul's revised proposal to meet Thursday at Panmunjom to discuss details of the North's participation in the Asian Games in Incheon.
"From 11:43 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Pyongyang fired about 100 shells and rockets toward the northeast from a site hundreds of meters north of the Northern Limit Line (NLL) at the demilitarized zone (DMZ) in Goseong, Gangwon Province," the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.
The DMZ is a four kilometer-wide buffer zone separating the two Koreas.
"The projectiles fell into the East Sea, one to eight kilometers north of the NLL," a JCS official added.
Given that the range of shells was presumed to be three to 50 kilometers, officials analyzed that the rockets were fired from 122 and 240 millimeter multiple-rocket launchers, and the shells from a 76.2 millimeter coastal gun.
The official added that nothing fell into South Korean waters.
"The South Korean military is strengthening its surveillance and maintaining a readiness posture in case of additional launches," the official said.
Pyongyang test-fired two ballistic missiles, believed to be Scuds, into the East Sea Sunday from just north of Gaeseong, about 20 kilometers from the inter-Korean border.
On Wednesday, the North fired two other ballistic missiles, also presumed to be Scuds, into the East Sea from a base in Hwanghae Province.
This marked the first time in nearly two decades that Pyongyang has fired missiles from an inland area, and not a coastal one. Hwanghae Province is near the West Sea, meaning the missiles crossed over the North's territory.
Military officials and experts believe the North appears to be staging an "armed protest" to show it can fire missiles at anytime from anywhere, amid worsening relations with China.
Meanwhile, following Pyongyang's call for talks with Seoul to be held Tuesday, and the South's counterproposal of Friday, the two sides agreed to meet Thursday ― showing an unusual willingness to negotiate.
On May 23, the North announced it would send 150 athletes and officials to compete in 14 events at the Asian Games. Last week it added that it would also send about 100 cheerleaders.
The North is also expected to propose to the South that they should field a unified team.
Follow Kang Seung-woo on Twitter @iamkangseungwoo
Follow Jun Ji-hye on Twitter @TheKopJihye
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