Conflict with South Korea: North Korea fires artillery shells

North Korea has fired more than 250 artillery shells. They crashed into the sea along the border with South Korea. The isolated country speaks of a warning to South Korea, where an annual military exercise is currently taking place.

North Korea has again tested weapons in the waters along the border with South Korea. More than 250 artillery shells were fired from North Korea’s west and east coasts. According to South Korean information, the projectiles fell into the sea in the buffer zone agreed in 2018. None of the projectiles fell into South Korean territorial waters.

North Korean state media report that the army leadership is issuing a “serious warning” to South Korea. “The enemies should immediately stop the reckless and inciting provocations that are escalating military tensions.”

South Korea holds annual military exercise

South Korea started annual military exercises on Monday, which are expected to last until Saturday. According to South Korea, the Hoguk maneuver is intended to improve defense capabilities in the face of the threat of North Korean nuclear weapons and missiles. The maneuver is the latest in a series of military exercises in South Korea, including joint exercises with US forces in recent weeks.

High frequency of missile tests

The situation on the Korean peninsula is very tense. Since the end of September, North Korea has been testing ballistic missiles and other weapons at an unusually high frequency. UN resolutions prohibit North Korea from testing ballistic missiles of any range, which, depending on the design, can also carry a nuclear warhead.