The South Korean military conducted a live-fire drill on Friday in response to North Korea's firing of more than 200 artillery shells earlier in the morning.

According to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Sixth Marine Brigade on Baengnyeong Island and the Yeonpyeong Unit on Yeonpyeong Island conducted live maritime shooting drills using K9 self-propelled howitzers and tank guns at around 3 p.m.

This marks the first time that Marine units deployed to the northwestern islands have conducted such drills since the inter-Korean military agreement was signed in 2018.

The initial provocation by the North is the first time in 13 months that its military conducted live-fire drills in the maritime buffer zone since sending shells toward the East Sea in the Goseong and Geumgang areas of Gangwon Province on December 6, 2022.

The South Korean military defined the regime’s artillery firing as a provocation as the rounds fell in the maritime buffer zone of the West Sea and conducted a live-fire drill in response.