South Korea condemns the move as “a provocative act that escalates tension and threatens peace on the Korean Peninsula.”
North Korea has fired more than 200 artillery shells into the sea near a tense maritime border and toward two South Korean islands, in what Seoul called “an act of provocation.”
On Friday, residents of Yeonpyeong and Baengnyeong islands were ordered to seek shelter due to an unspecified “situation.”
South Korea’s military said the gunfire did not cause civilian or military damage, adding that all the projectiles landed on the northern side of the sea border.
“This is a provocative act that increases tension and threatens peace on the Korean Peninsula,” said Lee Sung-joon, spokesman for South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The Defense Ministry in Seoul said: “We strongly warn that North Korea bears full responsibility for this escalation of crisis and we strongly urge them to immediately cease these actions.
“Our military is closely monitoring and monitoring the situation in close coordination with the United States, and will take appropriate measures in response to North Korea’s provocations,” the ministry statement added.
However, the Defense Ministry had yet to confirm whether the evacuation order was a response to Pyongyang’s artillery fire or Seoul’s military exercises.
An official on Yeonpyeong Island, which lies just south of the disputed Northern Limit Line (NLL) maritime border, told residents to move to air raid shelters on the island at the request of the South Korean military.
A text message sent to residents and confirmed by an island official cited “naval fire” by South Korean troops starting at 3:00 p.m. (06:00 GMT) on Friday.
The South Korean army informed the affected village that its own army had fired from the sea following “a situation” near the border.
Residents of Baengnyeong Island, located west of Yeonpyeong and near the sea border, were also instructed to evacuate, a village official confirmed.
Since the 1990s, Pyongyang has questioned the LNL (drawn up at the end of the 1950-53 Korean War) arguing that it should be far to the south.
In 2010, North Korean artillery attacked Yeonpyeong Island, causing casualties, including civilians. Pyongyang claimed it was provoked by Seoul’s live-fire exercises that dropped projectiles into its territorial waters.
China calls for “moderation”
“In the current situation, we hope that all relevant parties will maintain calm and restraint, refrain from taking actions that aggravate tensions, avoid further escalation of the situation and create conditions for the resumption of meaningful dialogue,” he said. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin. journalists on Friday.
“Clashes between relevant parties have intensified recently and the situation on the peninsula remains tense,” Wang said.
This week, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered his military to “completely annihilate” South Korea and the United States if they initiate a military confrontation in another round of bellicose rhetoric aimed at Seoul and Washington.
The relationship between the two Koreas has been at its lowest point in decades of tense relations between the neighboring countries.
North Korea has recently stepped up its nuclear and military threats, successfully launching a reconnaissance satellite on its third attempt in November and earlier this month testing for the third time the solid-fueled Hwasong-18, its largest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). advanced. in 2023.
