Koreans Ordered to Evacuate as North and South Fire Artillery Barrages Near Border

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North Korea conducted a new round of artillery drills near the disputed sea boundary with South Korea on Saturday, officials in Seoul said, a day after the North’s similar exercises prompted South Korea to respond with its own firing drills in the same area.

The North’s back-to-back firing exercises come after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un repeatedly called for stronger war readiness to cope with what he called deepening confrontation led by the U.S.

Experts say North Korea is likely to continue its provocative run of weapons tests to boost its leverage in potential future negotiations with Washington as the U.S. heads into the November elections.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement the North fired more than 60 rounds near the western sea boundary on Saturday afternoon.

South Korea strongly urged North Korea to halt acts that heighten tensions and warned it will “overwhelmingly” deal with any provocations by North Korea, the statement said.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff said South Korea will take corresponding military steps if North Korea continues artillery drills that pose a threat to South Korean nationals.

The statement didn’t say whether South Korea would respond with its own drills.

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