The South Korean army announced this Friday that responded with live firing maneuvers to artillery tests made shortly before North Korea in the Yellow Sea, forcing Seoul to order the evacuation of two border islands.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement that the 6th Marine Brigade in Baeknyeong Island and military unit Yeonpyeong Island They fired at a simulated target at sea. These exercises were supervised from the control center by Defense Minister Shin Won-sik.

Three hours earlier, North Korea opened fire. hundreds of artillery shots in the vicinity of both islandswhich led to orders to evacuate civilians.

According to JCS, the South Korean military exercise began at 15:00 local time.

Judging by the images provided, these maneuvers involved K9 self-propelled guns and K1E1 tanks.

“After North Korea unilaterally announced a complete suspension of the September 19 military agreement, it resumed shelling of the area this morning, which constitutes a provocation that threatens peace on the Korean Peninsula and tensions are rising,” Sheen said, according to the statement.

Shin mentioned the military agreement signed by the two Koreas September 19, 2018which was intended to reduce tensions in border areas and which, among other things, prohibited live-fire maneuvers along the border.

“The naval fire exercise is aimed at responding to North Korea’s provocation,” the statement added, indicating that no action was taken. discovered more “unusual movements” northern army.

The South Korean islands of Baeknyeong and Yeonpyeong lie opposite the sunset. Northern boundary line (NLL), which serves as a disputed maritime boundary between two Koreas in the Yellow Sea (in both Koreas called the Western Sea).

Created by the United Nations to avoid new clashes after the armistice that ended the Korean War in 1953, the NLL is rejected by North Korea, which argues that the dividing line should be further south.