‘Noisy loudspeaker’ row escalates into exchange of fire over Korean border

What do you do when your neighbor has the radio on too loud? Ask them politely to turn it down? Maybe bang on the wall? For North Korea it was an excuse to launch a rocket attack, prompting a hail of artillery fire from its neighbors in the south in retaliation. The sworn enemies, technically still at war after several decades, exchanged fire beginning when the North fired a shell across the border. It was aimed at Yeoncheon, a town north-west of Seoul, and in particular at a loudspeaker which has been blaring out anti-Pyongyang broadcasts. In response, South Korea fired tens of 155mm artillery rounds at the location where the shell came from. Neither side appeared to inflict much damage, although it did prompt the South to tell villagers to leave the targeted area. Seoul started the broadcasts after claiming the North had laid land mines that maimed two of its soldiers; the North had promised to retaliate.

Our military has stepped up monitoring and is closely watching North Korean military movements

South Korean defence ministry

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