Korean Marines Fired At An Asiana A320 From Chengdu To Inchon

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On June 19 South Korean military said they would not punish the two soldiers who mistakenly shot an airliner on June 17 and considered fire action in accordance with the requirements of the relevant military manuals.

Cause of the accident is still unknown
Before dawn on June 17, an Asiana Airlines A320 carrying 119 passengers, took off from Chengdu, China to Inchon, South Korea. When the A320 was dozens of kilometers only to the Incheon International Airport and preparing to land, two Korean Marines on Gyodong Island, off Korea's west coast, took it for a North Korean fighter and fired immediately 99 rifle rounds in ten minutes at the Asiana flight. Fortunately, the aircraft was not shot and landed safely.

The two soldiers claimed the aircraft deviate from the normal route, which was denied by the airline. Cause of the accident is still unknown by now.

A South Korean Marine Corps spokesman said to the media on June 19 that the military will not punish the two soldiers for the fire action was carried out in accordance with previous training.

Sea mist interference?
The spokesman said marines ...
... guarding on islands off the border are often specially trained to distinguish between civil aircrafts and enemy aircrafts.

"It is the sea fog in early morning that interfered with their sight... They made the (fire) action on the basis of regulations in the military manuals." the spokesman said, "This action is partly due to the high tension between the North and South… We currently have no plans to punish them, because there is no any damage to the aircraft.”

Due to the Cheonan incident last year, Yeonpyeong bombardment and other military conflicts, the two sides are currently in a high tension. The North Korea threatened to break up with South Korea and the South is closely monitoring any "suspicious military action" of the North.

Mistaken fire exposed "loopholes"
Military experts said the K2 rifle is a powerful assault rifle designed in early 1990s. The 450m range will be extended an extra hundreds of meters in an appropriate position, which means the A320 was then actually in a very dangerous position. It is lucky the airliner was not shot but it also reflects the marines' technical abilities. 99 rifle rounds were fired in 10 mins and shot none.

The incident not only reminds airlines who have airline routes through the surrounding to pay more attention to being safe and coordinating, but also seriously warns the South Korean military about its front-line army's combat effectiveness, responsiveness and communication mechanism. In addition, it also shows that inter-Korean tensions have made the South Korea a leaf in the storm. Once either of the two sides sparks a conflict accidentally, the crisis is very likely to spread to a wider range.

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