South Korea complains that North Korea fired an additional 60 cannons near Yeonpyeong Island.

North Korea fired another 60 artillery shells near the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong and after firing more than 200 bullets on Friday, forced people to evacuate. Fear of a repeat of the events of 13 years ago.

Foreign news agencies reported that the North Korean military fired more than 60 artillery shells near Yeonpyeong Island on Saturday, January 6, 2024, just one day after the North Koreans conducted a training exercise of firing more than 200 live rounds in the same area. This prompted South Korea to respond by practicing live ammunition in the area as well.

South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement, “The North Korean army fired more than 60 artillery shells from the northwestern area of ​​Yeonpyeong Island between 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. today (January 6).”

North Korea's live-fire maneuvers on Friday prompted South Korean authorities to evacuate people on Yeonpyeong Island. On Baingyeong Island, shelter-in-place operations and ferries were suspended. Out of concern this would be a repeat of the Yeonpyeong Island bombing incident in 2010, when the two sides fired on each other, killing 7 South Korean soldiers and civilians.

But North Korean artillery shells fell on Friday and Saturday inside the buffer zone. It was established under a 2018 de-escalation agreement that collapsed in November 2023 after North Korea successfully launched a satellite into orbit.

The South Korean military said on Saturday that the continuous artillery shelling inside the area prohibits North Korea's hostile behavior. It threatens peace on the Korean Peninsula and increases tensions. They issued a strong warning and warned North Korea to immediately stop such behavior.

“North Korea’s claim that the September 9 military agreement is completely false has always threatened our civilians by firing artillery shells within the zone where hostile behavior is prohibited,” South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said. “As a Kurd, our army will take appropriate measures to protect our country.”