Bombardment of Yeonpyeong

South Korea faced a tense situation as North Korea fired approximately 200 artillery shells into waters off its western coast. This abrupt aggression led to an emergency evacuation order for civilians on the border islands of Yeonpyeong and Baengnyeong. The Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed the artillery firings, breaching the maritime buffer zone that aimed to reduce border tensions.

North Korea fired more than 200 artillery shells near two South Korean islands on Friday, Seoul's defence ministry said, warning the actions threatened peace and it would respond.

Residents on the two islands were ordered to evacuate, in one of the most serious military escalations between the two Koreas since the North fired a barrage of shells at one of the islands in 2010.

North and South Korean troops exchanged fire along their tense border on May 3, the South's military said, the first such incident since the rivals took unprecedented steps to lower front-line animosities.

US President Donald Trump may visit the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea in early November, Yonhap reported, quoted by Focus. The South Korean Agency refers to local military sources.

South Korean President Moon Jae-In warned on May 17 there was a "high possibility" of military clashes along the border with North Korea as tensions mount over Pyongyang's weapons ambitions.

Moon, who was sworn in last week, warned that the North's nuclear and rocket programs were "advancing rapidly," days after Pyongyang launched what appeared to be its longest-range missile yet.

North Korea fired 30 short-range missiles on Saturday.

According to the General staff of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's army, the missiles flew about 30 km before falling into the Sea of Japan near the Korean Peninsula, ITAR-TASS has reported.