South Korea takes action, orders island evacuation following ‘provocation’

Civilians on an island near the North Korean border have been ordered to evacuate to shelters by South Korea, following allegations that Pyongyang fired hundreds of artillery shells as part of a military provocation.

The evacuation order was issued twice on Friday afternoon by local authorities, who received information about a maritime strike on Yeongpyeong Island. North Korea reportedly launched around 200 artillery shells off its west coast, with some landing in waters within a maritime buffer zone established in a previous agreement.

These developments occurred after joint US-South Korea military drills near the border, which were criticized by North Korea as reckless war maneuvers.