North and South Korea have both fired missiles across their maritime border for the first time as tensions escalate between the two neighbours.
The South retaliated on Wednesday three hours after Pyongyang fired a missile which landed less than 60km (37mi) from its eastern city of Sokcho.
Seoul said such a firing was an “unacceptable” breach of its territory.
It fired three air-to-ground missiles in response, which officials said landed a similar distance past the Northern Limit Line.
The South said the North fired at least 10 missiles on Wednesday. These are believed to be in response to joint military drills being carried out by the US and South Korea this week.
At least one of the missiles- launched just before 09:00 (00:00 GMT) on Wednesday – landed about 26km south of the border, 57km east of Sokcho and 167km north-west of Ulleung island.
The launch had triggered air-raid sirens on Ulleung, and residents were told to evacuate to underground shelters.
It was picked up immediately by South Korean and Japanese authorities who swiftly condemned the escalation from Pyongyang.
South Korea’s President Yoon Suk-yeol labelled it an “effective territorial invasion” and vowed a “swift and firm response”. However, countries technically only have a right to establish its territorial sea to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles (22km).
Around three hours later, the South fired three precision air-to-ground missiles from warplanes in waters off its east coast.
Pyongyang has yet to respond to the South’s latest launch but the firings are a marked escalation in hostilities across the peninsula this year, which had already witnessed over 50 missile launches from North Korea.
It comes as the West has been bracing for a potential nuclear weapon test from the North, with intelligence reports suggesting Pyongyang is preparing to carry out its first such test since 2017.
The North had on Tuesday issued a statement threatening the allies to stop the joint drills, saying they would face further “powerful measures” otherwise.
On Wednesday morning it then fired at least 10 missiles of different types in “east and west” directions, the South Korean military said.
One of those missiles had breached the Northern Limit Line – the defacto maritime border.
North Korea’s launches on Wednesday follows a blitz of missiles it fired last month which it said were also in response to US, South Korea and Japan joint drills. It had described its response as a “simulation” for a nuclear attack on the South.
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