A military official reported that North Korea launched more than 200 artillery shells into the sea on Friday near a maritime border with South Korea. In the meantime, orders were issued for residents of two islands in South Korea to evacuate due to an "unknown situation." The Ministry of Defense did not confirm whether the order was issued in response to the artillery fire from North Korea or South Korean military exercises in retaliation. However, a text message sent to residents, confirmed by an official from one of the islands, indicated that South Korean forces would begin "naval firing" starting at 3 PM local time (06:00 GMT) on Friday.
An official from Yeonpyeong Island, located just south of the Northern Limit Line, which represents the disputed maritime border, stated that the evacuation order was issued at the request of the Seoul military. The military mentioned in a press conference that North Korea's shelling did not result in any civilian or military casualties in the South. A spokesman for the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said, "This is a provocative act that escalates tensions and threatens peace on the Korean Peninsula."
The official noted that the South Korean military informed a village that it had fired into the sea due to a "situation" near the border, but it was unclear whether this was a drill or for another reason. An official from one of the villages reported that authorities also requested residents of Baengnyeong Island, located to the west of Yeonpyeong and near the maritime border, to evacuate the island.
In 2010, North Korean artillery fired dozens of shells at Yeonpyeong Island, resulting in the deaths of four people, including two civilians, in one of the most intense attacks on its neighbor since the end of the Korean War in 1953. At that time, North Korea claimed it launched the attack after being provoked by live-fire exercises conducted by South Korea that dropped shells in its territorial waters. Yeonpyeong Island is located in the Yellow Sea, about 80 kilometers west of Incheon and 12 kilometers south of the coast of North Hwanghae Province in North Korea.
North Korea has strongly condemned a series of military exercises conducted by South Korea since the beginning of the year, warning that the likelihood of confrontation between the two sides will be highest this year. The South Korean military conducted live-fire artillery drills and also held naval maneuvers involving warships and aircraft to strengthen its defensive posture against potential provocations from North Korea.
