South Korea says the North has again fired artillery shells near their sea border
South Korea says North Korea has conducted a new round of artillery firing drills near the rivals’ disputed sea boundary
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.North Korea conducted a new round of artillery drills near the disputed sea boundary with South Korea on Saturday, officials in Seoul said, a day after the North's earlier exercises prompted South Korea to respond with its own drills in the same area.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement the North fired more than 60 rounds near the western sea boundary on Saturday afternoon. It said South Korea strongly urges North Korea to halt acts that heighten tensions.
The Joint Chiefs of Staff said South Korea will take corresponding military steps if North Korea continues artillery drills that pose a threat to South Korean nationals. It said South Korea will “overwhelmingly” deal with any provocations by North Korea.
On Friday, North Korea fired about 200 artillery shells near the area, prompting South Korea to conduct its own firing drills in response. South Korea’s Defense Ministry said troops on two border islands fired artillery rounds south of the sea boundary. Local media said South Korea fired 400 rounds.
Ahead of the South Korean drills, South Korean authorities asked residents on five major islands near the western sea boundary to evacuate to safe places due to worries that North Korea would fire back. The evacuation order was lifted a few hours later.
Both Koreas have abandoned a 2018 deal they struck during a brief period of rapprochement. The agreement called for a halt in live-fire exercises in front-line buffer zone. But rising animosities over the North's missile tests and its first military spy satellite launch and other issues have left the military agreement in tatters.
The Koreas’ poorly marked western sea boundary was the site for bloody naval skirmishes between the Koreas in 1999, 2002 and 2009. The North’s alleged torpedoing of a South Korean warship killed 46 South Korean sailors in March 2010, and the North’s artillery bombardment of Yeonpyeong Island killed four South Koreans in November 2010.