GYODONG ISLAND, South Korea: Armed with assault rifles, South Korean soldiers inspect and scrutinise the identification documents of people passing through military checkpoints into a fenced-up Gyodong Island.
North Korea is just about two kilometres away, separated only by a stretch of water.
Security is tight around the small island of Gyodong, located in the Ganghwa region of Incheon city. Barbed wire along the coastline serves as a safeguard against North Korean infiltration.
But even with the recent blitz of missile launches from the North, many South Koreans – including those who live near the border – remain unperturbed.
Some even want the barbed wire removed.
This is despite tensions on the Korean peninsula being at their highest since 2017, following the recent tit-for-tat missile firings between South Korea and North Korea.
HEIGHTENED MILITARY TENSIONS
Both sides exchanged warning shots off the west coast on Monday (Oct 24), accusing each other of breaching their maritime borders.
The latest exchange of fire came amid simmering tensions, with North Korea carrying out weapons tests at an unprecedented pace this year.