N.K. military orders artillery firing into sea to protest allies' live-fire drills near border

By Kim Soo-yeon

SEOUL, Dec. 6 (Yonhap) -- North Korea's military said Tuesday it has ordered artillery firing into the sea in response to live-fire drills between South Korea and the United States near the inter-Korean border.

The General Staff of the Korean People's Army (KPA) said it detected the South Korean military's firing of artillery from multiple rocket launchers and howitzers in frontline areas from around 9:15 a.m. following similar military actions on Monday, according to a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

"We immediately ordered frontline artillery units to launch artillery firing into the sea to issue a strong warning," an unnamed KPA General Staff spokesperson said in the statement.

The official called on the South to immediately stop "provocative" military actions.

The North appears to be referring to live-fire drills being conducted between South Korea and the U.S. at border units in Cheorwon County, 71 kilometers northeast of Seoul.

The warning shots came one day after North Korea fired some 130 artillery shells into eastern and western maritime "buffer zones" to protest the allies' live-fire exercise.

sooyeon@yna.co.kr
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