S. Korea says N.K. firing drills violate peace agreement

SEOUL, Nov. 25 (Yonhap) -- North Korea conducted artillery firing drills from an inter-Korean border island in the Yellow Sea in violation of the inter-Korean military agreement, South Korea's defense ministry said Monday.

According to the North's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) earlier in the day, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un gave the firing order during a visit to a military unit on Changrin Islet just north of the Northern Limit Line (NLL), the de facto maritime border in the Yellow Sea.

KCNA did not elaborate on the date of the inspection and other details.

"The artillery firing drills that North Korea mentioned are in violation of the Sept. 19 military agreement that the military authorities of the two countries agreed to and that have been fully implemented," ministry spokesperson Choi Hyun-soo told a regular briefing.

"We call on North Korea to immediately stop all military actions in border areas, which are feared to heighten military tensions, and to fully comply with the pact," she added.

On Sept. 19, 2018, the two Koreas signed the Comprehensive Military Agreement (CMA) during the third summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang, which calls for a series of peace-building and tension-reducing measures, such as the halt of all hostile acts against each other.

graceoh@yna.co.kr
(END)