韩国称朝鲜自年以来首次对韩开炮

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.

韩国周四表示，朝鲜自2010年以来首次向韩国开炮，并威胁称，如果最近发起的宣传活动不停止，朝方将采取进一步行动。

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.

韩国有关部门表示，周四下午3时25分，朝鲜的一枚火箭弹在边境地区爆炸，未造成人员伤亡。韩方称，韩国炮兵向测算的朝方开火来源处发射了数十发炮弹作为回应。

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.

此次交火发生之际，朝韩关系特别紧张。上周首尔指责朝鲜在分隔朝韩的非军事区的南部边缘埋下三个地雷。韩国陆军的一支巡逻队触发了地雷，导致两名士兵身受重伤。

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”.

针对这起事件，韩国在边境地区恢复向朝鲜进行扩音器喊话。这种宣传活动在2004年韩朝关系较好时作为示好被暂停。平壤方面拒绝对地雷事件承担责任，并表示准备“炸毁”韩方的扩音器，以报复朝鲜所称的“严重军事挑衅”。

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.

韩国国防部表示扩音器未受任何损坏。但首尔方面表示，发生交火后，朝鲜传递出一个信息，称如果扩音器喊话在48小时内不停止，朝方将“开始军事行动”。

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.

据韩国官方的韩联社(Yonhap)报道，作为回应，韩国总统朴槿惠(Park Geun-hye)召集国家安全委员会讨论局势。朴槿惠办公室拒绝证实这一消息。

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.

朴槿惠上任时承诺在朝鲜半岛“建立信任”，但批评者指责她未能摆脱前任李明博(Lee Myung-bak)的保守政策，因为她保持了李明博出台的制裁措施和较低援助水平。其他分析人士表示，缺乏进展的原因是年轻领导人金正恩(Kim Jong Un)执掌的朝鲜对于弃核谈判缺乏兴趣。

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.

周四的事件是2010年12月炮击事件以来韩朝首次相互炮击。之前那次炮击中，朝鲜向韩国延坪岛开火，导致四人死亡。朝鲜的两次炮击都发生在韩美联合军演期间。

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.

周一，韩美开始举行大规模年度演练，双方投入数万兵力，还有另外七个国家（包括法国和英国）派来的小分队。平壤认为这些例行演习是入侵朝鲜的准备，经常警告它们可能导致冲突。