The conflict over the Korean peninsula has become significantly more explosive in recent months. North Korea responded to military exercises by South Korea and the USA with around 130 artillery shells. Some of the projectiles are said to have landed in a buffer zone.
North Korea has fired more than 130 artillery shells as a warning towards the sea. The reason for this is joint military exercises by South Korea and the United States, the KCNA news agency reported, citing a spokesman for the General Staff of the People's Army. He pointed out that North Korea had found dozens of projectiles fired in the south near the border.
"We strongly warn the enemy not to unnecessarily escalate tensions along the front lines," the agency quoted the spokesman as saying. South Korea's military responded to the artillery salvos with several warnings to the north. Some of the North Korean projectiles fell in a buffer zone near the sea border between the two countries. This is a violation of the inter-Korean agreement of 2018, which is intended to reduce tensions.
The South Korean and US military held joint land-based target practice near the border on Monday. The two allies have increasingly organized joint maneuvers this year, citing the deterrence of North Korea as the reason for doing so.
North Korea's military activities have been increasing for some time. A number of maneuvers with combat aircraft and artillery units were held and an unusually large number of missiles were tested - including intercontinental missiles for the first time since 2017. It is widely expected that the largely isolated North Korea could soon carry out another nuclear test.
