South Korea conducts live-fire drills after North Korea fires 200 artillery shells

According to Yonhap news agency, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said the country's armed forces held a live-fire exercise on the border islands of Yeonpyeong and Baengnyeong on the afternoon of January 5. The exercise involved K9 self-propelled artillery and marines.

South Korean K9 self-propelled guns fire during a drill. (Photo: South Korean Army)

The move came just hours after North Korea fired more than 200 artillery shells into waters west of South Korea.

According to the JCS, the artillery shells were fired from Jangsan Cape and Deoungsan Cape, both in the southwestern coastal areas of North Korea, between 9am and 11am on January 5.

Although there were no casualties among civilians or South Korean troops, the JCS said the shells fell into a buffer zone north of the Northern Limit Line (NLL), the de facto maritime boundary between South and North Korea established under an inter-Korean military pact signed on September 19, 2018, aimed at reducing tensions between the two Koreas.

The South Korean government also immediately issued an emergency evacuation order for residents on both western border islands of Yeonpyeong and Baengnyeong.

“We solemnly warn North Korea that it must take full responsibility for the recent escalation of the crisis and demand that North Korea immediately stop its provocative actions,” said Colonel Lee Sung-jun, a spokesman for the JCS, in a statement.

Mr. Lee emphasized that the South Korean military is "coordinating closely" with the US and is "monitoring and monitoring related activities and will take corresponding response measures against North Korea's provocations."

Earlier, South Korea said its and the US militaries had conducted live-fire drills near the border with North Korea to enhance joint combat readiness. The drills began on December 29 and ended on January 4.

The joint exercise involved more than 110 major combat weapons, including K1A2 tanks, anti-aircraft guns and combat earth movers supported by US attack aircraft and armored fighting vehicles, the South Korean military added.

On January 3, the South Korean Navy conducted live-fire drills and anti-submarine drills in the eastern, western and southern seas with the participation of destroyers, frigates and corvettes.

North Korea has protested the drills, calling them "reckless war rehearsals."

Hua Yu (Source: Tass, Reuters)

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