In response to recent artillery drills conducted by North Korea, South Korea has announced that it will resume military drills in the border area, stating that the long-established buffer zones are now considered invalid.

The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff made the announcement on Monday, explaining that the restrictions on the zone, which were established in a 2018 agreement between Seoul and Pyongyang, "no longer exist."

Earlier this month, the North Korean military conducted a series of multiday artillery bombardments in the border region, firing hundreds of rounds. South Korean intelligence estimates indicate that approximately 200 shells were fired on Friday, followed by an additional 60 on Saturday.

In response to these provocations, the South Korean Defense Ministry reportedly fired around 400 rounds. "We gravely warn that the entire responsibility of such crisis-escalating situations lies with North Korea and strongly call for its immediate halt," warned South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff spokesman Col. Lee Sung-jun during a press conference amidst the ongoing artillery fire.

The western sea border between North Korean and South Korean territory has been a site of multiple skirmishes since the end of the Korean War. With the buffer zones now considered invalid, tensions are expected to rise in the region as South Korea resumes its drills.