South Korea's military said Tuesday that explosion sounds recently heard north of Ganghwado appear to stem from North Korea reinforcing its coastal defense facilities.
Jang Do-yeong, spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a regular briefing that explosion sounds had been continuously heard along the North Korean coastal area north of the neutral zone at the Han River estuary, in front of Ganghwado. He added that the military believes North Korea is reinforcing its coastal defense facilities on the northern side and is closely monitoring related developments.
Japan's NHK also reported Monday that North Korea appeared to be carrying out demolition work — believed to be part of fortification efforts — near Gaeseong, north of Ganghwado.
A Ganghwado resident in their 60s told NHK that the blasting seemed to be moving gradually from east to west. "Because it's so close, the boom sounds incredibly loud," the resident said. "I've lived here for more than 60 years, but I've never experienced anything like this."
joze@heraldcorp.com
