Watches

02.02.10

SEOUL — South Korea's military was watching Tuesday for any North Korean missile tests after the communist state banned shipping from several more coastal zones in its territory.

Pyongyang's move follows a three-day artillery barrage by the North last week that ratcheted up tensions on the Korean peninsula.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed a media report that the North had declared five new "no sail" zones effective from last Sunday to 8:00 pm (1100 GMT) on Tuesday.

Last week the North banned shipping from two zones along its disputed west coast sea border with South Korea, which was the scene of bloody naval battles in 1999 and 2002.

A day later it launched a three-day artillery barrage in which 370 shells landed near the border, triggering a South Korean protest.

"We are closely monitoring North Korea to see if it is conducting short-range missile tests or further artillery fire (in the new zones)," a Joint Chiefs spokesman told AFP.

[ Via: AFP | Read more... ]