Over the weekend, it was revealed that a unit of the ROK Marine Corps stationed to the west of Seoul fired 99 rifle rounds at a civilian airliner early on the morning of the 17th, apparently in the belief that it was a North Korean military jet.
However, it has since been confirmed by both Asiana, the airline, and the South Korean authorities that the airliner was flying as normally at the time of the attack, contrary to initial claims from the South Korean military authorities, leading to the conclusion that the incident was a clear mistake on the part of the ROK military.
According to an anonymous military source, the marines in question testified that an unidentified aircraft had entered South Korean airspace across the Northern Limit Line (NLL), and decided to employ force against it. The source explained, “It has been concluded that the marines who fired the warning shots saw lights from an unidentified aircraft coming from the North across the NLL, took it as being a North Korean air force jet and fired warning shots.”
However, the source also stressed that the incident was not an actual attack on the aircraft; only warning shots were fired 7km in front of the airliner, which was 13km from the source of the shots at the time.
Based on the evidence, it seems likely that the case was one of a mistake made in part due to recent efforts by the military to strengthen defense and counter the threat of North Korean provocations, which is adjudged to be high. Thick fog has also been blamed.
The question which remains is why shots were fired at a civilian airliner operating normally in a way that many other airliners do each day on their way into Incheon International Airport, the main gateway to South Korea which lies less than 50km from the NLL.
