South Korea shooting mishap highlights heightened tensions with North
| Seoul, South Korea
For ten minutes at dawn on Friday, two young South Korean marines fired repeatedly at a low-flying plane they believed was a North Korean fighter.
The shots all fell short, and the plane turned out to be a passenger jet owned by Asiana Airlines, one of South Korea鈥檚 two major carriers, on final approach to Incheon International Airport, opened ten years ago as the main gateway into the country.
鈥淭his is a small happening,鈥� says Song Hye-jung, a senior reservation manager at Asiana. 鈥淭hey only have small guns, so they cannot reach the plane.鈥�
The episode, however, highlights heightened tensions in a region of long-running confrontation, including two attacks last year in which 50 South Koreans were killed. South Korean forces are building up on five or six islands in the Yellow Sea within sight of North Korea鈥檚 southwestern coast, primed to deter a repeat of the attack in November in which two marines and two civilians were killed in an artillery barrage on Yeonpyeong Island.
鈥淭he marines there are on high alert,鈥� says Kim Tae-woo, senior research fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses. 鈥淩ight after Yeonpyeong Island, there was a drastic strengthening of arms. Now our joint chiefs of staff are establishing long-range plans. There will be an intensification of plans.鈥�
Missile tests
Besides sending more troops, tanks, and artillery pieces to the islands, South Korea reportedly has moved missiles to within range of North Korea鈥檚 capital of Pyongyang. North Korea, which manufactures short, medium and long-range missiles, recently tested one of its short-range missiles in the Yellow Sea 鈥� far from disputed waters but close enough to send a message.
In the case of the incident on Friday, according to the version of South Korean defense officials, the two marines, manning an observation post on Gyodong Island, slightly over a mile from North Korean territory, believed the plane was north of the usual route
鈥淭he control system has no direct connection to the troops out there on the island,鈥� says Mr. Kim. 鈥淭hey simply did what they were ordered to do.鈥�
In that atmosphere, however, the question arises about the safety of flying into an international airport capable of handling more than 1,000 flights a day within 20 miles of North Korea. Rhetorical exchanges between North and South Korea suggest the dangers.
'Fighting spirit'
South Korea鈥檚 President Lee Myung-bak, criticized for not responding strongly enough to the Yeonpyeong Island attack or to the sinking of the navy corvette the Cheonan in the Yellow Sea in March of last year with a loss of 46 sailors, called on South Korean forces last week to show 鈥渇ighting spirit.鈥� His defense minister, Kim Kwan-jin, warned of a 鈥渟urprise provocation鈥� while North Korea 鈥渋s pressuring us with rhetorical threats.鈥�
It was just such a surprise that the young marines were determined to combat, according to military sources. 鈥淭hey were so anxious,鈥� says a military spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Lee Song-il. 鈥淭here will be no charges against them.鈥�
One reason the two marines do not face disciplinary action is the view that the plane, on a flight from the northwestern Chinese city of Chengdu with 119 passengers and crew members aboard, was slightly north of its normal course when it passed over the island, about 20 miles west of Incheon.
Their version differs from that of the airline, which insists the plane was on course. 鈥淲e only fly the normal route,鈥� says Song Hye-jung of Asiana. 鈥淭hey are searching for the reason for misunderstanding.鈥� No one on the plane had any idea what was happening 鈥� and learned about it only after landing.
Lessons from the close call?
Definitely, military and civilian officials are coordinating to guarantee no repetition of an experience seen as a warning to all. In a worst case scenario, they note, the marines could have been manning anti-aircraft artillery guns that could easily have blown the plane out of the sky.
鈥淭he tension was very high,鈥� says Choi Jin-wook, director of North Korean studies at the Korea Institute of National Unification. 鈥淣orth Korea鈥檚 provocative remarks give the idea they are going to start a war. The marines were ordered to shoot at anything suspicious.鈥�
Tensions flared earlier when North Korea threatened to fire on South Korean military exercises in which images of the late 鈥淕reat Leader鈥� Kim Il-sung, his son, leader Kim Jong-il, and Kim Jong-il鈥檚 son and heir apparent Kim Jong-un were used as targets.
鈥淣orth Korea is saying we are very close to war,鈥� says Mr. Choi. He doubts, though, if the North will make good on such threats. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 very unlikely,鈥� he says. 鈥�China does not want that鈥� 鈥� a reference to China鈥檚 ultimate power over the North as the source of most of its food and other vital supplies.
