North Korea argues its major shelling of the East and West Sea buffer zones carried out Friday afternoon was in response to South Korean provocations.

According to the North's Korean Central News Agency, the General Staff Department of the Korean People's Army issued a spokesperson statement Saturday, saying the protest firing of artillery shots the previous day was to send a clear warning against continued enemy provocation in front-line areas.

The department said it spotted shelling by enemy forces in the South Korean area of Cheorwon, Gangwon Province Thursday and Friday and in response, it ordered front-line units to fire artillery shots toward the East and West Sea between 5 and 8 p.m. on Friday as a warning message.

The department warned that the North Korean military will never tolerate any enemy provocations that escalate tension on the Korean Peninsula and vowed to take overwhelming and corresponding military measures. The North called on the South to stop its reckless provocative acts.

The artillery exercise Pyongyang mentioned was conducted by U.S. Forces Korea in Cheorwon, involving multiple launch rocket systems. It was the sixth of its kind this year and the location, time and content of the drill was unveiled two days prior.