...Again, what a ridiculous question then. Both North and South Korea have militaries and both N and S Korea have conducted exercises in the past. Quite frankly EAO you are either naive or just troll like the CUBert.
This isn't about South Korea conducting artillery exercises as much as where they were conducting it and how long.
Are you having a problem understanding how a four and a half hour sustained artillery barrage near a navigation channel might affect shipping in the area??? How many North Korea vessels do you suppose passed through the nearby North Korean navigation channel, during that time.?
I bet South Korea never consulted North Korea first before starting this exercise along North Korea's border. Seems rather unneighborly. If the US did this Canada's border, I'd bet we'd at least complain... politely.
From what I can tell, South Korea never fired any shells into North Korea, but the point of the exercise appears to be discovering how close they can lob artillery near the North Korean border in order to provoke a response. Given South Korea's claims they fired to the west, (which in this area, means toward North Korean) its possible some shells landed on the North Korea side of the border.
I am well aware of the MSM's slant on this story. Most Canadian/Western sources have left out important details. I'm drawing conclusions based on both side's narratives of events, looked at the timing of events, the location of this incident and considered the impact South Korea's exercise might have on North Korea. You appear to have embraced the MSM's version of events verbatim. Who is being naive again?
BTW, I have sympathy for casualties on both sides as well as their families. I blame both governments. IMO, both sides had many opportunities to avoid a confrontation.
Whatever happened, North Korea apparently felt threatened and saw it as an act of aggression. You think North Korea are a bunch of deranged maniacs bullying the south and but that isn't the reality.
Actually that's how I see both sides.