North Korea was found to have conducted artillery exercises near the western maritime border with South Korea on Tuesday.

A Defense Ministry official in Seoul said Wednesday that the North fired several shells at targets in the Yellow Sea using its coastal artillery near the western maritime border.

The official was quick to add, however, that the move is regarded to be one of the North’s regular winter training exercises and is not considered to be a provocation.

The North has recently beefed up its coastal artillery on islands near the Northern Limit Line.