From 9 to 11 a.m. (local time) on 5 January, the North Korean military fired artillery from two positions: Cape Changsan and Cape Dongsan. The shells hit the maritime buffer zone north of the Northern Limit Line, the de facto maritime border between the two countries.
North Korea is provoking South Korea: buffer zone shelling
On the morning of 5 January, North Korea fired artillery near the border with South Korea and fired about 200 artillery shells into the Yellow Sea off its western coast.
This was reported by Yonhap news source with reference to the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces.
From 9 to 11 a.m. (local time), the North Korean military fired artillery from two positions: from Cape Changsan, north of South Korea's northernmost island of Panmunjom, and from Cape Dongsan, north of the western border island of Yeonpyeong, Seoul said.
The shells hit the maritime buffer zone north of the Northern Limit Line, the de facto maritime border between the two countries. Such a buffer zone was created in accordance with the inter-Korean military agreement of September 19, 2018, designed to reduce border tensions.
Due to shelling, the local authorities on the western border of Yeonpyeong Island, at the request of the South Korean military, ordered civilians to urgently evacuate to shelters.
North Korea unilaterally terminated the agreement last November after Seoul partially suspended it in protest over Pyongyang's launch of a military reconnaissance satellite.
The shooting also came after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called inter-Korean ties "hostile" and called on North Korea's military to step up preparations for "military action on the entire territory of South Korea."
Pyongyang has not yet commented on the shelling on the border with South Korea.
North Korea claims it can wipe South Korea and United States off the face of earth
As North Korea's state media reports, Kim Jong Un's new loud threats were made during his meeting with senior officers of the North Korean army.
The dictator decided to analyse the security situation on the Korean peninsula and came to the conclusion that it is allegedly approaching the edge of an armed conflict every day.
Against this background, Kim Jong Un again began to insist on "further sharpening the cherished sword to protect the security and peace of the DPRK".
The more dynamically the Korean revolution develops, the more desperately the American imperialists and the clan of the Republic of Korea (the official name of South Korea — ed.) are trying to stop it, the dictator said.
In addition, it is emphasised that Kim Jong Un called for a fatal blow and complete destruction of the specified countries if they "dare to military confrontation and provocation against the DPRK".
According to him, North Korea will have to mobilise all the strongest forces and means, "without any hesitation".
