North Korea fired about 130 artillery shells across the sea from its east and west coasts, according to the South Korean military. Some of the projectiles landed in the buffer zone near the maritime border between the two countries, the military said today.
South Korea sees this as a violation of the 2018 inter-Korean accord, which aims to reduce tensions. The South Korean military has therefore sent several warnings to the north, the Defense Ministry in Seoul said.
North Korea initially did not report artillery salvos. North Korea’s military activities have been increasing for some time. Several maneuvers with combat aircraft and artillery units were carried out and an unusual number of missiles were tested – including ICBMs for the first time since 2017.
For their part, South Korea and US allies have increasingly carried out joint maneuvers this year, citing North Korea’s deterrence as the reason. It is also widely expected that largely isolated North Korea will soon conduct another nuclear test.