The chief of the Liberty Forward Party (LFP) says the South Korean military must respond immediately in the event North Korea launches provocations near its western sea border with the South.

LFP Chairman Lee Hoi-chang made the statement during a meeting of top officials of his party on Monday.

He said Pyongyang’s display of its coastline artillery, positioned on islands near the Northern Limit Line, is an effective announcement of the North’s preparations for possible provocation.

On U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s planned visit to Seoul, Lee stressed the need for the new U.S. government to establish clear policies on North Korea and underlined the importance of the South Korea-U.S. alliance.