Asia-Pacific

DPRK declares no-sail zone off west coast: media

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-06-25 11:36

SEOUL - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has designated a no-sail zone off the west coast, local media reported Friday.

The nine-day ban, scheduled from June 19-27, has been set in waters near the port city of Nampo, which might be part of preparations to fire a short-range missile in response to a scheduled naval drill between South Korea and the United States, Seoul's JoongAng Ilbo newspaper said, citing an unnamed source.

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But no particular indication of an imminent missile launch has been found, and the ban might just be for regular military exercises, Seoul's semi-official Yonhap News Agency said, citing an unnamed government official.

The move comes amid heightened tension on the Korean peninsula as Seoul is seeking to punish Pyongyang at the United Nations for the sinking of a South Korean warship in tense western waters three months ago, a charge Pyongyang flatly rejects.

Seoul's naval drill, with its most important ally, is one of the series of punitive steps that South Korea has planned to protest Pyongyang's alleged torpedo attack on the warship. In the tragedy, 46 South Korean sailors died.