SEOUL, South Korea – Tensions between North and South Korea have escalated once again as North Korea fired over 200 rounds of artillery shells towards the South’s Yeonpyeong island, prompting the South Korean military to hold live fire drills in response. This provocative act has led to condemnation from the South, who have called for civilians to seek shelter on the island.

The artillery shells, fired on Friday, did not enter South Korean territory and instead landed in the buffer zone between the two countries. Despite causing no damage, the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff have stated that the incident “threatens peace on the Korean peninsula and raises tensions.”

This latest incident comes as North Korea fully suspended a military deal with the South that had been aimed at improving relations. The deal soured after North Korea claimed to have successfully launched a spy satellite into space, leading to South Korea partly suspending the agreement.

Despite the withdrawal from the deal, North Korea had violated the pact multiple times in the two years before, launching missiles and firing artillery rounds into the sea in the South’s direction. As a result, analysts argue that the withdrawal might not make much of a difference.

Yeonpyeong island, home to a military base and a small civilian population, has been the scene of inter-Korean naval clashes over the years, leading to casualties in the past. The continued escalation of tensions between the two countries poses a threat to the stability of the region, with the potential for further conflict on the Korean peninsula.