The army reported on the 22nd that it conducted live-fire training at the U.S. Story shooting range target near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in Paju, South Korea. This live-fire training is the first in 7 years since it was suspended under the September 19 military agreement signed between the two Koreas in 2018.
According to the army, the training began by detecting a simulated enemy fire provocation. As the command post designated the point of provocation as a target and issued a firing order, six K55A1 self-propelled howitzers and 12 K9A1 self-propelled howitzers from the 1st Division and the 1st Artillery Brigade fired a total of over 60 rounds at the target site within the U.S. Story shooting range from their position along the Imjin River in Paju the previous day.
Previously, the two Koreas agreed to fully suspend artillery firing drills and brigade-level outdoor maneuvers within 5 kilometers of the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) according to the September 19 military agreement made in 2018. Live-fire training within the Story shooting range had also been similarly halted.
However, in response to North Korea's continued provocations, the government decided to suspend the effectiveness of the September 19 agreement last June, and the military resumed live-fire training near the Demilitarized Zone. In March, the U.S. and South Korea signed a memorandum of understanding for the reuse of the Story target site. Accordingly, this live-fire training was conducted.
An army official noted, "The two firing positions were resumed after the suspension of the September 19 military agreement last year, and with the resumption of the Story target site, everything has returned to normal." The army expects that the resumption of artillery fire at the Story target site will enhance firepower operations based on actual operational plans and improve long-range firing capabilities.
Captain Do Jae-ho, the battery commander, said, "In the future, we will maintain optimal fire readiness to ensure that we can fire quickly and accurately whenever and wherever orders are given."