The South Korean military has brushed aside North Korea’s denial of firing artillery shells from Yongmae Island toward the Northern Limit Line (NLL) on Wednesday.

The North has claimed that the South mistook detonations from construction work around South Hwanghae Province as artillery fire.

An official at the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said that a South Korean guard reported the sound of firing from North Korea, and the South Korean military confirmed the site where shells fell.

He added that it is not worth mentioning North Korea’s untrue and unilateral claim.

The JCS official said that at 1 p.m. and 7:46 p.m. Wednesday, North Korea fired combined five shells toward the Northern Limit Line north of Yeonpyeong Island in the Yellow Sea. Of the five shots, three fell north of the western sea border and two fell around the maritime border.