Barrels Pointing South in Plain Sight: North Korean Self-Propelled Artillery Spotted "Right in Front of Gimpo"

As North Korea warned of bolstering its firepower along the Military Demarcation Line (MDL), North Korean self-propelled artillery was spotted deployed close to the South along the western front.

Photos taken yesterday (October 25) and today from the Aegibong Observatory in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, showed North Korean self-propelled artillery, presumed to be 122 mm self-propelled guns, deployed in the coastal border area of Kaepung County, Hwanghae Province.


Written on the armor of the self-propelled guns was a North Korean military propaganda slogan reading, "Annihilate the U.S. imperialist aggressors, the sworn enemies of the Korean people!"

Near the artillery, several North Korean soldiers were also seen raising and lowering red flags, appearing to conduct drills.

Located about 1.5 km from North Korean territory on elevated ground, the Aegibong Observatory is a vantage point where North Korean military activities, including so-called "border fortification" work, can be observed with the naked eye.

While North Korean troops had often been spotted constructing tactical roads or barbed-wire fences from this site, the sighting of self-propelled artillery is reported to be a recent development.


The North Korean military's 122 mm self-propelled gun is a major artillery asset deployed in large numbers on the frontline, with an estimated range of 15 to 24 km.

Generally, artillery units utilize terrain features, such as the reverse slopes of hills or mountains, for concealment and cover to avoid enemy observation and attack.

For this reason, observers assess the deployment of North Korean self-propelled artillery so close that it can be captured by South Korean media telephoto lenses as unusual.

Some also suggest that this deployment is a form of show of force.

Shin Jong-woo, secretary-general of the Korea Defense and Security Forum (KODEF), assessed, "It is quite unusual for the North Korean military to openly deploy self-propelled artillery in plain sight in front of the barbed-wire fence," adding, "The intention is to raise tensions in the border area."

He added, "In line with Kim Yo-jong's warning of deploying 'tactical armed forces,' frontline artillery units appear to be deploying self-propelled guns forward," and noted, "Additional deployments of other military assets could follow."

Earlier, Marine Corps Commandant Lt. Gen. Ju Il-suk said during a parliamentary audit of the Marine Corps Headquarters on October 20 that "there are also various changes in the area of North Korea's 4th Corps facing the northwestern border islands," adding, "Accordingly, we are reinforcing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) equipment and maintaining our readiness posture."

South Korean military authorities have reportedly detected sounds of explosions caused by the North Korean military approximately 900 times this year in the area fronting Ganghwa County.

Most of these are presumed to have occurred during North Korea's ongoing border fortification work.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.