North Korea fires 'warning' artillery into maritime buffer zone

North Korea has fired artillery shots into the maritime buffer zone separating the isolated nation from South Korea. The artillery shots are the latest in Pyongyang’s provocative actions that have drawn the ire of South Korea.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement Monday that North Korea fired around 130 artillery rounds into the maritime buffer zone from two sites. One barrage was fired from North Korea’s east coast, and another series of shots from the west coast. The South Korean military said it was a “clear violation” of the 2018 agreement between North and South Korea that established the buffer zone to reduce tensions.

The North Korean military said the artillery shots aimed to be a warning against the ongoing South Korean artillery drills near the inland border area of Cheorwon. Pyongyang also accused South Korea of worsening tensions in the peninsula.

Seoul said that none of the shells crossed the Northern Limit Line, which is the de facto maritime border between the two nations. The military said it issued several warnings over North Korea’s artillery “barrage” but did not give any further details.

“Our military is strengthening its readiness posture in preparation for emergencies while tracking and monitoring related developments under close cooperation between South Korea and the United States,” said Seoul.

North Korean state media outlet KCNA reported that the artillery barrage was a “tit for tat” warning in response to South Korea firing dozens of projectiles earlier. Pyongyang has repeatedly fired artillery into the buffer zone in recent months, along with a record number of missile launches.

Pyongyang has since ordered new artillery firings on Tuesday into the sea for the second consecutive day. The new artillery barrages are in protest of the drills conducted by Seoul and Washington in the inland border region. The spokesman for the North Korean military said the latest planned barrage was meant to be a “warning” to South Korea and that it was a response to South Korea’s artillery exercises.

South Korea and the US are currently conducting live-fire drills involving multiple rocket-launching systems and howitzers in two separate testing grounds in Cheorwon, which started on Monday and will continue until Wednesday.