[Editorial] Strong Reaction Needed for North`s Invasion of NLL

North Korea`s navy vessels evaded down below the NLL yet again. In response, our navy fired warning shots and made them retreat. The event could have sparked another armed conflict between North and South. After the Yellow Sea Engagement in June, the rules of engagement were streamlined to three steps, allowing our navy to make quicker responses. Consequently, our navy could foil off the Northern ships in 14 minutes, firing warning shots. But we should not let our guards off. It was fortunate that there was no engagement. Nobody, however, can guarantee that North Korea would not breach the NLL again.

What is needed most is to root out the cause of the conflict. Kim Dae Jung administration should demand for an apology and the promise of North not to make such provocation in the future. One of the possible ways to achieve that goal is to make a protest via the UN Command. It was a serious situation that North and South Korean vessels confronted each other and fired shots. Nonetheless, Kim Dae Jung administration keeps silent. We can`t understand it.

In response to the breakout of the June 29th Yellow Sea Engagement, the Kim administration rushed to wrap up the case by accepting North`s lukewarm expression of regret as an apology without demanding for its promise to punish those in charge of the conflict and not to provoke such conflict again. North Korea may have been encouraged by such tepid reactions of our government. It`s time for Kim Dae Jung administration to understand the seriousness of the matter, and to make appropriate responses. It is true that highways and railroads connecting North and South are under construction. That does not, however, provide any legitimate excuse for ignoring North Korea`s provocation in the sea. In addition, the atmosphere over the Korean Peninsula is turning cool again, due to North Korea`s admission of its nuclear weapons program.

Under these circumstances, it is impossible to know what North is up to. It is, therefore, more important to come up with preventive measures, than to try to analyze the motive of such provocation. We should not forger the big loss we sustained in the Yellow Sea Engagement. The top brass of our military lost the chance to fight back, trying to determine the motive and intent of the provocation at that time. This time, North Korea had evaded the NLL twice in four days. What is needed right now is a strong reaction. We will not accept another Yellow Sea Engagement causing huge damage to both sides.