Residents of border regions feel anxious over inter-Korean tensions

Residents of Yeonpyeong Island, Incheon, are seen in a shelter on Friday, after North Korea fired some 200 artillery shells into waters off its western coast in the morning. (Yonhap)

North Korea's latest provocations on Friday have worsened tensions in the already-stressed inter-Korean relations, heightening worries for residents of the northwestern border islands.

Residents of the islands of Baekryeong and Yeonpyeong were ordered to evacuate after North Korea on Friday morning fired some 200 artillery shells into the sea off its western coast. The shells fell in the maritime buffer zones just north of the de facto maritime border between the two nations, with no injuries or military damages reported in the South.

Those living on the border islands, however, expressed anxiety and discomfort at the North's latest saber-rattling. A Baekryeong Island resident by the name of Kim Jin-su told local media that Pyongyang's actions have unnerved him and his neighbors, some of whom are foreign workers.

"We're afraid that another incident like the one in 2010 might occur again," he was quoted as saying.

Kim was referring to North Korea's 2010 shelling of Yeonpyeong Island and the subsequent skirmish between the two Koreas. North Korea launched a direct attack on the residential area of the island, leaving four South Koreans -- including two civilians -- dead, and more than a dozen injured in what was the North's first attack on South Korean civilians since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War.

The recent inter-Korean tensions have particularly shaken residents of Incheon, the western port city area that includes counties where the five northernmost islands are located. These include the islands of Soyeonpyeong, Yeonpyeong, Daecheong and Socheong.

A December 2022 survey by the city-funded Incheon Institute showed that 73.6 percent of respondents reported feeling nervous over the security situation with North Korea. It marked a steep increase from 48.8 percent the previous year.

In a bid to support the residents of the five northernmost islands in Incheon, the metropolitan government said earlier this week that it will spend 141.9 billion won ($108 million) in subsidies to help with the resettlement costs of the residents of the five islands. This includes monthly resettlement subsidies for residents, which is 160,000 won a month per person for those who have lived on the islands for 10 years or more, and 100,000 won a month for residents who have lived on the islands for less than 10 years.

By Yoon Min-sik(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)