South Korean marines responded by conducting afternoon live-fire drills within the Yellow Sea, South Korea’s Protection Ministry mentioned in a information launch.

Yeonpyeong, positioned lower than 10 miles from the North Korean shoreline, was the location of a lethal North Korean shock assault in 2010, when Pyongyang launched scores of shells. 4 folks, together with two South Korean marines serving on the island, have been killed.

Col. Lee Sung-jun, a spokesman for the South’s armed forces, demanded the North “instantly stop” actions that improve tensions, studying aloud a ready assertion.

Tons of of civilians residing on Yeonpyeong had entered bomb shelters, an official on the county workplace mentioned. A complete of two,100 folks stay there, the official mentioned, together with the relations of the marines serving on the garrison there. The 4,800 residents of Baegnyeong had additionally been ordered into bomb shelters, a South Korean official there mentioned.

The sheltering orders have been lifted at 3:45 p.m. native time, the 2 officers mentioned.

The event displays North Korea’s objective of elevating regional tensions, Lee mentioned. “The duty for this heightened state of tensions lies fully with North Korea,” he added.

North Korean chief Kim Jong Un has persistently vowed to proceed upgrading his nuclear arsenal and army since rising to energy greater than a decade in the past. Most just lately, Kim mentioned his troopers would speed up efforts to “subdue your complete territory of the South in case of conflict,” utilizing “all bodily means” together with nuclear weapons, in an announcement revealed by state media late final 12 months.

The shelling incident comes as a South Korean military brigade carried out a days-long train this week with parts of the U.S. Military’s 2nd Infantry Division, in response to state broadcaster KBS. The U.S. army maintains 28,500 troops within the South, primarily to discourage North Korea, and conduct routine coaching and subject workout routines with South Korean troopers. The North often denounces these drills.