By Jun Ji-hye  |
| / Graphic by Cho Sang-won |
North Korea fired six short-range projectiles into the East Sea, Thursday, in an apparent show of force after the United Nations' adoption of new sanctions against the regime."North Korea fired six projectiles into the East Sea at about 10 a.m. from an area near Wonsan," the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement."The projectiles were believed to fly about 100 to 150 kilometers."Wonsan is a major port city on the isolated state's east coast.The South Korean military is currently analyzing the nature of the projectiles.An official from the Ministry of National Defense said on condition of anonymity that they are presumed to be short-range missiles such as KN-01s, or those fired from a 300-millimeter multiple launch rocket system."The military is maintaining a thorough readiness while monitoring and tracing movements of North Korean troops," the JCS said.This is the first time for the North to fire short-range projectiles this year. It fired three KN-01s into the East Sea, also from Wonsan, on June 14 last year.The launch took place hours after the U.N. Security Council unanimously voted for Resolution 2270 that will impose the harshest sanctions yet on the Kim Jong-un regime for its Jan. 6 nuclear test and Feb. 7 rocket launch, both of which defied existing sanctions.
More provocations fearedThe adoption of the sanctions is raising concerns that the Kim regime be preparing new types of provocations as it has already played the nuclear and long-range rocket cards.They also noted that the ruling Workers' Party's Congress — the first in 36 years slated for early May — could also affect the North's decision on any action.Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, told reporters, "Ahead of the congress, it is highly likely that the North could launch lower-intensity provocations rather than another nuclear test or long-range rocket launch."He noted that the lower-intensity provocations would include the deliberate crossing of the Northern Limit Line (NLL), the de facto maritime border between the two Koreas in the West Sea, firing artillery shells, launching short- or middle-range missiles, or cyber terrorism.Moon Sung-mook, a retired Army brigadier general and senior researcher at the Korea Research Institute for Strategy, also told reporters, "The North could also carry out terrorist attacks on the South's crowded facilities such as subways or shopping malls."However, Chang Yong-seok, a senior fellow at the Institute for Peace and Unification affiliated with Seoul National University, did not rule out the possibility that the repressive state may offer dialogue with Seoul, given that China, its traditional ally, suggested holding peace treaty discussions between the United States and the North.
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북한이 3일 유엔 안전보장이사회(안보리)의 대북 제재 결의 직후 동해상으로 단거리 발사체를 쏘며 무력시위를 했다.
군 관계자는 이날 '북한이 오늘 오전 10시께 강원도 원산 일대에서 단거리 발사체 8∼9발을 동해상으로 발사했다'고 밝혔다.
그는 '북한이 쏜 단거리 발사체의 구체적인 내용을 분석 중'이라며 '우리 군은 관련 동향을 추적·감시하며 만반의 대비태세를 유지하고 있다'고 강조했다.
북한이 발사한 단거리 발사체는 100여㎞가량 비행한 것으로 알려졌다.
군 당국은 북한이 단거리 미사일이나 300㎜ 방사포를 발사했을 가능성을 염두에 두고 분석작업을 진행 중이다.
북한이 올해 들어 단거리 발사체를 발사한 것은 이번이 처음이다. 유엔 안보리의 강력한 대북 제재 결의에 반발하는 무력시위인 것으로 분석된다.
안보리는 한국시간으로 이날 새벽 북한의 핵·미사일 개발에 사용되는 달러화와 물품의 유입을 전방위로 차단하는 고강도 대북 제재 결의안을 만장일치로 채택했다.
북한의 주요 외화 수입원인 광물 수출 금지도 포함하는 이번 제재는 전례 없는 강력한 제재로 평가된다.
이에 따라 북한이 유엔 안보리의 대북 제재 결의 이후 국면 전환을 노리고 추가 도발을 감행할 것으로 관측된 바 있다.
군 관계자는 '북한이 단거리 발사체 발사에 이어 추가 도발을 할 가능성이 크다'며 '북한군 동향을 면밀히 감시하고 있다'고 말했다. (연합뉴스)
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