Yeonpyeong Island

Japanese: 延坪島 - えんぺいとう

The two islands of Daeyeongpyeong Island and Soyoungpyeong Island are located in the Yellow Sea (West Sea, West Sea of Korea). Although they are part of the administrative district of the Republic of Korea, they face the Ongjin Peninsula, which is part of the territory of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and lies south of the 38th parallel north.
It lies south of the Northern Limit Line, the maritime boundary between North and South Korea established by the United Nations Command in 1953, but it extends completely into Northern waters under the Maritime Military Demarcation Line established by North Korea in 1999. As a result, military clashes have been frequent in the waters off Yeonpyeong Island, and in 1999 and 2002, gun battles at sea between North and South Korea occurred, resulting in numerous casualties.
On November 23, 2010, the Korean People's Army fired over a hundred artillery shots at Yeonpyeong Island. In response, South Korean troops deployed on the island returned fire, igniting an artillery battle that escalated into a tense situation with fighter jets being called in for an emergency response. This was the first direct attack on a civilian settlement since the Korean War armistice, and it resulted in the deaths of two South Korean soldiers and two civilians, as well as injuries to both military and civilians. According to a North Korean statement, the artillery attack on Yeonpyeong Island was a retaliation against South Korea for ignoring a notice to stop military exercises in the waters around Yeonpyeong Island. Voices of concern and criticism of North Korea have been heard from various countries, and the South Korean Defense Minister has also taken a hardline stance, hinting at air strikes.

(Writer Toshihide Kanaya / 2010)

Source : "Chiezo" published by Asahi Shimbun Publications Co., Ltd. About Chiezo

Japanese:

黄海(西海、朝鮮西海)上にある大延坪島(テヨンピョンド)と小延坪島(ソヨンピョンド)の2島。大韓民国の行政区域であるが、北緯38度よりも南に張り出す朝鮮民主主義人民共和国領の甕津(オンジン)半島に面している。
1953年に国連軍司令部が決めた南北の海の境界である北方限界線の南にあるが、99年に北朝鮮が設けた海上軍事境界線では北の海域の中にすっぽり入りこむことになる。このため、延坪島近海では軍事衝突が絶えず、99年と2002年に海上で南北の銃撃戦が行われ多数の死傷者が出た。
10年11月23日には、朝鮮人民軍により大延坪島にむけて百数十発の砲撃が加えられた。これに対して、島内に展開する韓国軍が応射する砲撃戦になり、戦闘機が緊急出動するなど緊張した事態に発展した。民間人居住地への朝鮮戦争休戦後初めての直接攻撃であり、韓国軍兵士2名、民間人2名が死亡したほか、軍民含む重軽傷者を出した。北朝鮮の声明によれば、延坪島周辺海域での軍事演習中止を求める通知を無視した韓国への対抗措置として大延坪島砲撃を行ったとする。各国からは憂慮や北朝鮮に対する非難の声が集まり、韓国国防相も空爆を示唆するなど強硬な姿勢を示している。

(金谷俊秀　ライター／ 2010年)

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