韓國稱朝鮮自年以來首次對韓開炮
North Korea has fired artillery into South Korea for the first time since 2010, and threatened further action if a recently launched propaganda campaign is not halted, Seoul said on Thursday.
韓國週四表示，朝鮮自2010年以來首次向韓國開炮，並威脅稱，如果最近發起的宣傳活動不停止，朝方將採取進一步行動。
The ministry said a North Korean rocket exploded in a border area at 3.25pm on Thursday, without causing casualties. It said South Korean artillery responded with dozens of rounds aimed at the presumed source of the rocket.
韓國有關部門表示，週四下午3時25分，朝鮮的一枚火箭彈在邊境地區爆炸，未造成人員傷亡。韓方稱，韓國炮兵向測算的朝方開火來源處發射了數十發炮彈作爲迴應。
The exchange comes at a time of particular strain in inter-Korean relations, after Seoul last week accused North Korea of laying three mines on the southern edge of the demilitarised zone that divides the states. The mines were detonated by a South Korean army patrol and maimed two soldiers.
此次交火發生之際，朝韓關係特別緊張。上週首爾指責朝鮮在分隔朝韓的非軍事區的南部邊緣埋下三個地雷。韓國陸軍的一支巡邏隊觸發了地雷，導致兩名士兵身受重傷。
South Korea responded to that incident by resuming loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts over the border, which had been suspended in 2004 in a goodwill gesture, at a time of better relations. Pyongyang denied responsibility for the mine incident, and said it was prepared to “blow up” the loudspeakers in response to what it called a “grave military provocation”.
針對這起事件，韓國在邊境地區恢復向朝鮮進行擴音器喊話。這種宣傳活動在2004年韓朝關係較好時作爲示好被暫停。平壤方面拒絕對地雷事件承擔責任，並表示準備“炸燬”韓方的擴音器，以報復朝鮮所稱的“嚴重軍事挑釁”。
Seoul’s defence ministry said there had been no damage to any of the loudspeakers. But in a message soon after the exchange of fire, Pyongyang said it would “start military action” if the broadcasts were not halted within 48 hours, Seoul said.
韓國國防部表示擴音器未受任何損壞。但首爾方面表示，發生交火後，朝鮮傳遞出一個信息，稱如果擴音器喊話在48小時內不停止，朝方將“開始軍事行動”。
President Park Geun-hye responded by calling a meeting of the national security council to discuss the situation, according to a report by the Yonhap national news agency, which Ms Park’s office declined to confirm.
據韓國官方的韓聯社(Yonhap)報道，作爲迴應，韓國總統朴槿惠(Park Geun-hye)召集國家安全委員會討論局勢。朴槿惠辦公室拒絕證實這一消息。
Ms Park came to power promising to “build trust” on the Korean peninsula but critics accuse her of failing to move on from the conservative policies of her predecessor Lee Myung-bak, having maintained the sanctions and low levels of aid that he oversaw. Other analysts say that blame for the lack of progress lies with Pyongyang’s lack of interest, under its young leader Kim Jong Un, in holding talks on ending its nuclear weapons programme.
朴槿惠上任時承諾在朝鮮半島“建立信任”，但批評者指責她未能擺脫前任李明博(Lee Myung-bak)的保守政策，因爲她保持了李明博出臺的制裁措施和較低援助水平。其他分析人士表示，缺乏進展的原因是年輕領導人金正恩(Kim Jong Un)執掌的朝鮮對於棄核談判缺乏興趣。
Thursday’s incident was the first inter-Korean exchange of artillery fire since December 2010, when North Korean shells killed four people on the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong — and like that previous attack, it coincided with a joint South Korean-US military exercise.
週四的事件是2010年12月炮擊事件以來韓朝首次相互炮擊。之前那次炮擊中，朝鮮向韓國延坪島開火，導致四人死亡。朝鮮的兩次炮擊都發生在韓美聯合軍演期間。
On Monday a major annual exercise began with tens of thousands of troops from both nations, as well as smaller contingents from seven others including France and the UK. Pyongyang views these regular exercises as preparations for an invasion of North Korea, and routinely warns that they could result in conflict.
週一，韓美開始舉行大規模年度演練，雙方投入數萬兵力，還有另外七個國家（包括法國和英國）派來的小分隊。平壤認爲這些例行演習是入侵朝鮮的準備，經常警告它們可能導致衝突。
