South Korea Retaliated as One of the North’s Missiles Breached The NLL

In a clear escalation of hostilities, North and South Korea launched numerous missiles into the oceans close to one another's coasts. Additionally, the North fired at least 23 missiles in a single day, including one that came down less than 60 kilometers (37 miles) from the city of Sokcho in the South. As a result, warplanes from Seoul fired three air-to-ground missiles in retaliation over the disputed maritime demarcation line. Later, Pyongyang launched 100 artillery shells and another six missiles. [caption id="attachment_58252" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] image credit: bbc[/caption] Furthermore, the North claims that the missile launches are in retaliation for the extensive military drills that South Korea and the US are now conducting, which it describes as "aggressive and provocative."In what was interpreted as a subliminal threat to deploy nuclear weapons, Pyongyang threatened on Tuesday that they would pay "the most horrible price in history" if they maintained their joint military exercises. Moreover, the skirmishes on Wednesday started with Pyongyang firing missiles into waters near South Korea, setting off air raid sirens on Ulleung, an island governed by Seoul. Residents were instructed to leave the area and seek refuge underground. The Northern Limit Line (NLL), a contentious maritime border between the two Koreas, was crossed by one ballistic missile. [caption id="attachment_58251" align="aligncenter" width="1600"] image credit: cbs58[/caption] It was the closest a North Korean missile has ever come, even though it fell outside South Korea's territorial waters. According to Seoul, it was an "unacceptable" invasion of its land. Local officials said that the South's air-to-ground missiles landed similarly well past the NLL off the coast of the North. On another note, following the mob crush in Seoul over the weekend that left more than 150 people dead, South Korea is currently in a state of national mourning. And the tit-for-tat missile launches coincide with this period of sorrow.