Text Fwd: S. Korea confirms prior knowledge of N. Korea’s artillery attack 남한, 북한의 포 공격을 사전에 알고 있었음

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Image: Won Sei-hoon

Hankyoreh
Won Sei-hoon
[News briefing] S. Korea confirms prior knowledge of N. Korea’s artillery attack
Dec. 2, 2010

South Korea’s National Intelligence Service (NIS) was confirmed on Wednesday to have wiretapped and caught the information that North Korea was planning to shell five islands in the West Sea three months before the attack. Their response, however, was sloppy. With this new admission, the people’s blame on Lee Myung-bak government and South Korean military for their overall incompetence is likely to rise.

In a meeting of the National Assembly Intelligence Committee, NIS Director Won Sei-hoon answered, “Yes,” to the lawmakers’ question of whether the NIS knew that North Korea ordered its military to prepare for artillery attack on the five islands from intercepting a North Korean military communication last August, according to the committee members. Won said the NIS submitted the intelligence report to President Lee Myung-bak.

Won was quoted as saying, “Since North Korea was constantly making such threats, the military anticipated North Korea’s shelling on the waters south of the Northern Limit Line (NLL).”

Won said it was difficult to intercept North Korean military communications before and on the day of attack, as North Korea used landlines instead of wireless communication.

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See also

Hankyoreh
S.Korea to resume artillery exercises on Yeonpyeong
: One former general says the military should focus on deterring provocations to restore stability to the region
Dec. 2, 2010