North Korea launched more than 200 artillery shells near two South Korean islands on Friday, Seoul’s defence ministry said, warning that the acts jeopardized peace and that it would respond.
Residents on the two islands were forced to evacuate, in one of the most significant military clashes between the two Koreas since the North launched a shelling campaign against one of the islands in 2010.
The live firing on Friday came after Kim Jong Un’s leadership in Pyongyang repeatedly warned that it was ready to go to war with South Korea and its US ally.
At the press conference, a defence ministry official stated, “The North Korean military conducted over 200 rounds of firing today from around 09:00 to 11:00 (1200 to 0200 GMT) in the areas of Jangsan-got in the northern part of Baengnyeong Island and the northern areas… of Yeonpyeong Island”.
In a statement, the ministry stated, “This is a provocative act that threatens the peace on the Korean Peninsula”.
“We sternly warn that North Korea bears full responsibility for this escalating crisis and strongly urge them to immediately cease these actions”, the statement reads.
“Our military closely tracks and monitors the situation in close coordination with the United States, and will take appropriate measures in response to North Korea’s provocations”, the statement added.
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