Rival parties slam N. Korea for firing shells across border

By Yeo Jun-suk

Published : Aug. 20, 2015 - 22:11

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South Korea's rival parties denounced North Korea Thursday for firing artillery shells across the inter-Korean border, voicing the need to beef up security posture to deter further provocations from the North.

Kim Moo-sung, chairman of the ruling Saenuri Party, called on the military to raise its combat readiness as North Korea fired artillery shells targeted at loudspeakers at a South Korean front-line military unit on the western area.

“As North Korea is unpredictable and bizarre, the South's military should be on a high alert," Kim said at a hastily-arranged meeting with party members. "There is solace in that there were no human casualties, but we need to thoroughly prepare for possible additional provocations by the North."

Moon Jae-in, the head of the main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy, also called an emergency meeting with party members where he strongly denounced the North's military provocation.

"The North's shelling is a blatant military provocation, posing a threat to peace on the Korean Peninsula," Yoo Eun-hae, the party spokeswoman, told reporters following the meeting.

North Korea's provocation came as the North has vowed to retaliate against the South over Seoul's resumption of a propaganda loudspeaker campaign. Seoul suspended its psychological warfare against the North in 2004.

Heightened tension on a divided peninsula has been sparked by a landmine explosion on Aug. 4 near the heavily fortified inter-Korean border, which is blamed on North Korea. The North has denied its role in the blasts which left two South Korean soldiers seriously injured. (Yonhap)

Rival parties slam N. Korea for firing shells across border

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