Pyongyang Fires About 130 Artillery Shells Into The Water Near Border With Seoul

According to a media report, North Korea fired about 130 artillery rounds into the water near its western and eastern sea borders with South Korea, contributing to the deterioration of the relationship between the two neighbors.

Pyongyang military reportedly said given that Seoul’s troops were conducting live-fire drills involving multiple-rocket launching systems and howitzers from Monday to Wednesday in two separate exercise fields in the Cheorwon region; their shelling served as a warning against South Korea’s artillery exercises. Seoul’s military said the firings communicated a verbal warning to Pyongyang and urged it to abide by the agreement.

In addition, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that both the U.S. and South Korean military are closely monitoring North Korea’s military operations while strengthening their preparations for response to any potential contingency. In light of Pyongyang’s all-time high number of missile launches and frequency of launches this year, the South Korean officials said that the Kim regime might up the stakes soon and carry out its first nuclear test since 2017.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has called for a political conference before the end of this year where he is expected to discuss the nuclear and missile programs against Washington and Seoul and further exacerbate the growing tensions.