South Korea evacuated the islands after North Korea fired more than 200 artillery shells nearby

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By Reuters

SEOUL – North Korea fired more than 200 artillery shells into the sea on Friday near the heavily defended maritime border with South Korea, a military official said, while residents of two South Korean islands were ordered to evacuate due to an unknown “situation.”

The Ministry of Defense did not confirm whether the matter was the result of North Korean artillery shelling or South Korean maneuvers in response.

However, a text message sent to residents and confirmed by an island official indicated that South Korean forces would launch “naval fire” from 3pm (0600 GMT) on Friday.

An official on Yeonpyeong Island, which lies just south of the maritime border of the disputed Northern Limit Line, said the evacuation order was issued at the request of the South Korean military.

The South Korean military said in a press conference that North Korea's shooting did not cause any civilian or military damage in the South.

A spokesman for the South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff said: “This is a provocative act that escalates tensions and threatens peace on the Korean Peninsula.”

The official said that the South Korean army informed the village that the South Korean army had fired into the sea after a “situation” near the border. But it was not clear whether this was training or if there was another reason.

A village official there said that residents of Pingneung Island, which lies west of Yeonpyeong and near the maritime border, were also asked to evacuate.

In 2010, North Korean artillery fired dozens of shells on Yeonpyeong Island, killing four people, including two civilians, in one of the deadliest attacks on its neighbor since the Korean War ended in 1953.

North Korea said at the time that it was provoked to attack by live-fire exercises conducted by South Korea that dropped missiles in its territorial waters.