N. Korea sets additional 'naval firing zones' near sea border with South

Yonhap News ^ | 1/3/2010 | Tony Chang

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

North Korea has temporarily designated two more areas near the western maritime border with South Korea as "naval firing zones," raising the possibility of further artillery shelling in the Yellow Sea, informed sources said Wednesday.

During a government-ruling party meeting held at the National Assembly, officials from the Defense Ministry briefed lawmakers that the communist country has designated an additional four-day naval firing period for the two zones effective from Feb. 5, according to sources privy to the meeting.

"It is possible that the North may show further provocations considering the redesignation of the naval firing zone," the official said.

Last week, North Korea fired some 350 artillery shells into the "no-sail" zones arbitrarily set by North Korea, north of the Yellow Sea's Northern Limit Line (NLL), the de facto maritime border. The NLL was drawn by the U.S.-led U.N. Command at the end of the Korean War and the communist North has refused to honor it.

North Korea last week declared two maritime areas near the NLL in the Yellow Sea as "no-sail" zones until March 29, the deadline of the country's regular military drill. Last Friday marked the end of a five-day "naval firing period" for the two zones east of the islands of Baengnyeong and Daecheong.

Analysts here say the latest provocations by Pyongyang also indicate an attempt to increase its leverage as it prepares to return to six-party denuclearization-for-aid talks, which include South Korea, the United States, Japan, Russia and China.