North Korea fired more than 200 artillery shells near two South Korean islands, the South’s defense ministry said, warning that the actions threatened peace and that it would respond.
Residents on the two islands were ordered to evacuate, in one of the most serious military escalations between the two Koreas since North Korea fired a barrage of shells at one of the islands in 2010.
Friday’s firing followed repeated warnings from the Kim Jong Un regime in Pyongyang that it was ready for war against South Korea and its ally the US.
“The North Korean military fired more than 200 rounds of ammunition today from around 09:00 to 11:00 in the Jangsan-got areas of the northern part of Baengnyeong Island and the northern areas of Yeonpyeong Island,” a defense ministry official said at a briefing.
The ministry released a statement shortly after, saying, “This is a provocative act that threatens peace on the Korean Peninsula.”
“It strictly warns that North Korea bears full responsibility for this escalating crisis and we strongly urge them to stop these actions immediately,” it is added.
“Our army is closely monitoring the situation in close coordination with the United States and will take appropriate measures in response to North Korea’s provocations,” says the Ministry of Defense.
