South Korea says North Korea fired artillery shells along its sea boundary

South Korea on Saturday claimed that North Korea fired artillery shells along their disputed sea boundary, escalating tensions. 

According to a statement issued by South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, North Korea fired over 60 rounds into the waters north of the western sea boundary.

The day before, on Friday, North Korea fired about 200 rounds north of the sea boundary, in what was its first such firing exercise in the buffer zone in about a year, according to ABC News.

South Korea responded, as their Defense Ministry said troops on two border islands fired artillery rounds, estimated by local media to be 400 rounds, south of the sea boundary. 

The joint chiefs said that South Korea strongly urges North Korea to halt these acts and will take military steps if necessary, reported ABC News.

These firing incidents come after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un called for stronger military readiness to prepare for "deepening confrontation" led by the U.S.

Experts predict that North Korea will continue to run these kinds of exercises to keep leverage for potential negotiations with the U.S. as elections approach. 

Since 2022, according to the outlet, North Korea has conducted more than 100 missile tests, many of them nuclear-capable weapons capable of targeting the U.S. mainland and South Korea.